Historical tsunamis · Dec 5, 1941, 8:46 PM UTC
1941 Costa Rica-Panama tsunami
Costa Rica
The tsunami of Dec 5, 1941, 8:46 PM UTC originated near Costa Rica-Panama (Costa Rica).
Key facts
- Date
- Dec 5, 1941, 8:46 PM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Magnitude
- M7.6
- Maximum documented water height
- 0.21 m
- Deaths
- 6
- Injuries
- many (about 101–1,000)
- Houses destroyed
- many (about 101–1,000)
- Damage
- moderate (about US$ 1–5 million)
- Observation records
- 5
- Countries affected
- 1
It was triggered by a magnitude 7.6 earthquake.
The highest documented water height was 0.21 m (Puntarenas, Costa Rica).
5 observation sites in 1 countries are recorded.
The database records 6 deaths.
Houses destroyed: many (about 101–1,000).
Damage is estimated at moderate (about US$ 1–5 million).
Map of observation sites
5Each dot is a documented observation site; colour and size show the observed water height. The triangle marks the source.
Tsunami arrival times
Documented arrival times from the NOAA/NCEI database, showing the earliest recorded location per country. Coverage is incomplete: a country without an entry was not necessarily spared.
- 0:00 hEarthquake (origin) · Dec 5, 1941, 8:46 PM UTC
- 0:58 hCosta Rica · Puntarenas · 0.21 m
1 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Costa Rica | 5 | 0.21 m Puntarenas | — | 0:58 h |
Highest documented water heights
5 / 5Individual documented observations for this event. Heights come from different measurement types and sources; not every location has a measured height.
| Location / station | Observed height | Distance from source | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| Puntarenas | 0.21 m | 228 km | Costa Rica |
| Dominical | — | 95 km | Costa Rica |
| Parrita | — | 153 km | Costa Rica |
| Puerto Cortes | — | 46 km | Costa Rica |
| Puerto Jimenez | — | 21 km | Costa Rica |
More tsunamis
Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), Global Historical Tsunami Database. Confirmed events only. Deaths and damage are database estimates; older records are incomplete. Water heights come from different types of observation.