Historical tsunamis · Apr 22, 1991, 9:56 PM UTC
1991 Limon, Pandora tsunami
Costa Rica
The tsunami of Apr 22, 1991, 9:56 PM UTC originated near Limon, Pandora (Costa Rica).
Key facts
- Date
- Apr 22, 1991, 9:56 PM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Magnitude
- M7.6
- Depth
- 10 km
- Maximum documented water height
- 3.00 m
- Deaths
- 90
- Injuries
- 895
- Houses destroyed
- many (about 101–1,000)
- Damage
- US$ 510 million
- Observation records
- 43
- Countries affected
- 3
It was triggered by a magnitude 7.6 earthquake at a depth of 10 km.
The highest documented water height was 3.00 m (Boket Bay, Isla Colon, Panama).
43 observation sites in 3 countries are recorded.
Outside the source country, the earliest documented arrival was at Bocas del Toro (Panama) after 0:10 h.
The database records 90 deaths.
Houses destroyed: many (about 101–1,000).
Damage is estimated at US$ 510 million.
Map of observation sites
43Each 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) · Apr 22, 1991, 9:56 PM UTC
- 0:02 hCosta Rica · Doce Millas de Moin · 2.00 m
- 0:10 hPanama · Bocas del Toro · 0.60 m
11 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Costa Rica | 25 | 3.00 m Moin | 3 | 0:02 h |
 Panama | 16 | 3.00 m Boket Bay, Isla Colon | — | 0:10 h |
| USA Territory | 2 | 0.04 m Isla de Magueyes | — | — |
Highest documented water heights
15 / 43Individual 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boket Bay, Isla Colon | 3.00 m | 89 km | Panama |
| Moin | 3.00 m | 35 km | Costa Rica |
| Doce Millas de Moin | 2.00 m | 39 km | Costa Rica |
| Lime Point, Isla Colon | 2.00 m | 87 km | Panama |
| Punta Cauro, Isla Colon | 2.00 m | 87 km | Panama |
| Punta Uva (31) | 2.00 m | 43 km | Costa Rica |
| Bananito | 1.70 m | 26 km | Costa Rica |
| Puerto Viejo (28) | 1.55 m | 35 km | Costa Rica |
| Patano | 1.35 m | 40 km | Costa Rica |
| Manzanillo (West) | 1.30 m | 46 km | Costa Rica |
| Westfalia (23) | 1.30 m | 30 km | Costa Rica |
| Gandoca | 1.25 m | 52 km | Costa Rica |
| Gandoca (34) | 1.25 m | 52 km | Costa Rica |
| Puerto Vargas | 1.16 m | 28 km | Costa Rica |
| Manzanillo (East) | 0.83 m | 46 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.