Historical tsunamis · Dec 6, 1941, 9:24 PM UTC
1941 Costa Rica-Panama tsunami
Costa Rica
The tsunami of Dec 6, 1941, 9:24 PM UTC originated near Costa Rica-Panama (Costa Rica).
Key facts
- Date
- Dec 6, 1941, 9:24 PM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Magnitude
- M6.9
- Maximum documented water height
- 0.12 m
- Damage
- limited (under US$ 1 million)
- Observation records
- 1
- Countries affected
- 1
It was triggered by a magnitude 6.9 earthquake.
The highest documented water height was 0.12 m (Puntarenas, Costa Rica).
1 observation sites in 1 countries are recorded.
Damage is estimated at limited (under US$ 1 million).
Map of observation sites
1Each 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 6, 1941, 9:24 PM UTC
- 0:52 hCosta Rica · Puntarenas · 0.12 m
1 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Costa Rica | 1 | 0.12 m Puntarenas | — | 0:52 h |
Highest documented water heights
1 / 1Individual 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 | 0.12 m | 186 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.