Historical tsunamis · Jan 12, 2010, 9:53 PM UTC
2010 Haiti & Dominican Republic tsunami
Haiti
The tsunami of Jan 12, 2010, 9:53 PM UTC originated near Haiti & Dominican Republic (Haiti).
Key facts
- Date
- Jan 12, 2010, 9:53 PM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake and landslide
- Magnitude
- M7.0
- Depth
- 13 km
- Maximum documented water height
- 3.21 m
- Deaths
- 316,000
- Injuries
- 300,000
- Houses destroyed
- 97,294
- Damage
- US$ 8,000 million
- Observation records
- 25
- Countries affected
- 3
It was triggered by a magnitude 7.0 earthquake at a depth of 13 km.
The highest documented water height was 3.21 m (Jacmel 3, Haiti).
25 observation sites in 3 countries are recorded.
Outside the source country, the earliest documented arrival was at Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic) after 0:47 h.
The database records 316,000 deaths.
Houses destroyed: 97,294.
Damage is estimated at US$ 8,000 million.
Map of observation sites
25Each 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) · Jan 12, 2010, 9:53 PM UTC
- 0:47 hDominican Republic · Santo Domingo · 0.06 m
- 1:07 hUSA Territory · Mona Island
3 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Haiti | 20 | 3.21 m Jacmel 3 | 3 | — |
 Dominican Republic | 2 | 1.27 m Perdenales | — | 0:47 h |
| USA Territory | 3 | 0.01 m D42407 Bpr, 230 Nm S of San Juan | — | 1:07 h |
Highest documented water heights
15 / 25Individual 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jacmel 3 | 3.21 m | 25 km | Haiti |
| Grand-Goave, Petit Paradis 3 | 3.10 m | 24 km | Haiti |
| Grand-Goave, Petit Paradis 4 | 3.03 m | 24 km | Haiti |
| Grand-Goave, Petit Paradis 6 | 2.66 m | 24 km | Haiti |
| Jacmel 1 | 2.44 m | 25 km | Haiti |
| Anse-A`-Pitres | 2.08 m | 94 km | Haiti |
| Grand-Goave, Petit Paradis 1 | 1.73 m | 23 km | Haiti |
| Grand-Goave, Petit Paradis 5 | 1.69 m | 24 km | Haiti |
| Jacmel 2 | 1.44 m | 25 km | Haiti |
| Le´ogane 1 | 1.38 m | 14 km | Haiti |
| Grand-Goave, Petit Paradis 7 | 1.36 m | 24 km | Haiti |
| Cayes-De-Jacmel | 1.30 m | 30 km | Haiti |
| Grand-Goave | 1.28 m | 25 km | Haiti |
| Perdenales | 1.27 m | 96 km | Dominican Republic |
| Grand-Goave, Petit Paradis 2 | 1.18 m | 23 km | Haiti |
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.