Historical tsunamis · Oct 23, 1950, 4:13 PM UTC
1950 Guatemala tsunami
Guatemala
The tsunami of Oct 23, 1950, 4:13 PM UTC originated near Guatemala (Guatemala).
Key facts
- Date
- Oct 23, 1950, 4:13 PM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Magnitude
- M7.5
- Depth
- 65 km
- Maximum documented water height
- 0.20 m
- Houses destroyed
- many (about 101–1,000)
- Damage
- severe (about US$ 5–25 million)
- Observation records
- 5
- Countries affected
- 3
It was triggered by a magnitude 7.5 earthquake at a depth of 65 km.
The highest documented water height was 0.20 m (San Jose, Guatemala).
5 observation sites in 3 countries are recorded.
Outside the source country, the earliest documented arrival was at Hilo, Hawaii, Hi (United States) after 9:18 h.
Houses destroyed: many (about 101–1,000).
Damage is estimated at severe (about US$ 5–25 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) · Oct 23, 1950, 4:13 PM UTC
- 2:12 hGuatemala · San Jose · 0.20 m
- 9:18 hUnited States · Hilo, Hawaii, Hi · 0.10 m
2 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guatemala | 1 | 0.20 m San Jose | — | 2:12 h |
 United States | 3 | 0.10 m Hilo, Hawaii, Hi | — | 9:18 h |
 El Salvador | 1 | 0.10 m La Union | — | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose | 0.20 m | 125 km | Guatemala |
| Hilo, Hawaii, Hi · Hi | 0.10 m | 6,713 km | United States |
| Honolulu, Oahu, Hi · Hi | 0.10 m | 6,988 km | United States |
| La Union · La Union | 0.10 m | 456 km | El Salvador |
| Port Allen, Kauai, Hi · Hi | 0.10 m | 7,158 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.