Historic Tsunami

1946 Dominican Republic Tsunami

8 August 1946 · Northeastern Coast · Dominican Republic

On 8 August 1946 at 13:28 UTC, a tsunami formed near Northeastern Coast, Dominican Republic. It was caused by a magnitude 7.5 earthquake. Waves reached up to 0.6 m high. It was observed at 13 locations in 4 countries or territories, up to 2,251 km from its source. It killed at least 75 people.

Date

8 August 1946

Time

13:28 UTC

Cause

Earthquake

Earthquake Magnitude

7.5

Highest Wave

0.6 m

Observation Sites

13

Furthest Reach

2,251 km

Deaths

75

Source Country

Dominican Republic

Triggering Earthquake

M 7.5, 1946

Countries and Territories Reached

Number of observations, highest wave and deaths in each country.

• 2Dominican Republic75 deaths
• 5United States of America · 0.6 m
• 1Bermuda (Uk Territory)
• 5Cuba

Highest Waves

• 0.6 mSan Juan · United States of America · 372 km

Other Major Tsunamis in the Region

• 2021Port-Au-Prince, Haiti2,248 deaths
• 2020Puerto Rico, United States of America · 0.1 m4 deaths
• 2010Haiti & Dominican Republic, Haiti · 3.2 m316,000 deaths
• 1946Northeastern Coast, Dominican Republic · 5.0 m1,790 deaths
• 1918Puerto Rico: Mona Passage, United States of America · 6.1 m144 deaths

Sources: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Global Historical Tsunami Database (doi:10.7289/V5PN93H7) · Natural Earth