Historical tsunamis · Aug 4, 1946, 5:51 PM UTC
1946 Northeastern Coast tsunami
Dominican Republic
The tsunami of Aug 4, 1946, 5:51 PM UTC originated near Northeastern Coast (Dominican Republic).
Key facts
- Date
- Aug 4, 1946, 5:51 PM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Magnitude
- M7.9
- Depth
- 15 km
- Maximum documented water height
- 5.00 m
- Deaths
- 1,790
- Houses destroyed
- many (about 101–1,000)
- Damage
- severe (about US$ 5–25 million)
- Observation records
- 8
- Countries affected
- 4
It was triggered by a magnitude 7.9 earthquake at a depth of 15 km.
The highest documented water height was 5.00 m (Nagua, Dominican Republic).
8 observation sites in 4 countries are recorded.
Outside the source country, the earliest documented arrival was at San Juan (USA Territory) after 0:36 h.
The database records 1,790 deaths.
Houses destroyed: many (about 101–1,000).
Damage is estimated at severe (about US$ 5–25 million).
Map of observation sites
8Each 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) · Aug 4, 1946, 5:51 PM UTC
- 0:36 hUSA Territory · San Juan · 0.66 m
- 2:07 hBermuda (UK Territory) · Bermuda
- 3:59 hUnited States · Daytona Beach, Fl
4 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dominican Republic | 4 | 5.00 m Nagua | 1,790 | — |
| USA Territory | 1 | 0.66 m San Juan | — | 0:36 h |
 United States | 2 | — | — | 3:59 h |
| Bermuda (UK Territory) | 1 | — | — | 2:07 h |
Highest documented water heights
8 / 8Individual 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nagua | 5.00 m | 88 km | Dominican Republic |
| Rio Boba | 5.00 m | 94 km | Dominican Republic |
| Matanzas | 2.50 m | 88 km | Dominican Republic |
| San Juan · Pr | 0.66 m | 314 km | USA Territory |
| Atlantic City, Nj · Nj | — | 2,289 km | United States |
| Bermuda | — | 1,515 km | Bermuda (UK Territory) |
| Cabo Samana | — | 17 km | Dominican Republic |
| Daytona Beach, Fl · Fl | — | 1,642 km | United States |
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.