Historical tsunamis · Oct 5, 1950, 4:09 PM UTC
1950 Costa Rica-Nicaragua tsunami
Costa Rica
The tsunami of Oct 5, 1950, 4:09 PM UTC originated near Costa Rica-Nicaragua (Costa Rica).
Key facts
- Date
- Oct 5, 1950, 4:09 PM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Magnitude
- M7.7
- Depth
- 33 km
- Maximum documented water height
- 2.00 m
- Injuries
- many (about 101–1,000)
- Damage
- limited (under US$ 1 million)
- Observation records
- 10
- Countries affected
- 3
It was triggered by a magnitude 7.7 earthquake at a depth of 33 km.
The highest documented water height was 2.00 m (Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica).
10 observation sites in 3 countries are recorded.
Damage is estimated at limited (under US$ 1 million).
Map of observation sites
10Each 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) · Oct 5, 1950, 4:09 PM UTC
- 0:46 hCosta Rica · Puntarenas · 0.10 m
1 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Costa Rica | 5 | 2.00 m Nicoya Peninsula | — | 0:46 h |
 United States | 3 | 0.10 m Hilo, Hawaii, Hi | — | — |
 El Salvador | 2 | 0.10 m La Union | — | — |
Highest documented water heights
10 / 10Individual 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nicoya Peninsula | 2.00 m | 136 km | Costa Rica |
| Hilo, Hawaii, Hi · Hi | 0.10 m | 7,536 km | United States |
| Honolulu, Oahu, Hi · Hi | 0.10 m | 7,816 km | United States |
| La Union · La Union | 0.10 m | 401 km | El Salvador |
| Port Allen, Kauai, Hi · Hi | 0.10 m | 7,987 km | United States |
| Puntarenas | 0.10 m | 116 km | Costa Rica |
| La Libertad · La Libertad | 0.09 m | 545 km | El Salvador |
| Garza | — | 140 km | Costa Rica |
| Puerto Carrillo | — | 136 km | Costa Rica |
| Puerto Coyote | — | 137 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.