Historical tsunamis · Nov 18, 1867, 6:45 PM UTC
1867 Virgin Islands tsunami
USA Territory
The tsunami of Nov 18, 1867, 6:45 PM UTC originated near Virgin Islands (USA Territory).
Key facts
- Date
- Nov 18, 1867, 6:45 PM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Magnitude
- M7.3
- Depth
- 33 km
- Maximum documented water height
- 15.2 m
- Deaths
- 24
- Damage
- extreme (over US$ 25 million)
- Observation records
- 62
- Countries affected
- 15
It was triggered by a magnitude 7.3 earthquake at a depth of 33 km.
The highest documented water height was 15.2 m (Little Saba, USA Territory).
62 observation sites in 15 countries are recorded.
The database records 24 deaths.
Damage is estimated at extreme (over US$ 25 million).
Map of observation sites
62Each 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)
- 0:12 hUSA Territory · St. Croix: Frederiksted · 7.60 m
1 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| USA Territory | 23 | 15.2 m Little Saba | 24 | 0:12 h |
| Guadeloupe (French Territory) | 6 | 10.0 m Deshaies, Basse-Terre Island | — | — |
| British Virgin Islands (UK Territory) | 3 | 3.60 m Virgin Gorda Island | — | — |
 Grenada | 7 | 3.05 m Gouyave (Charlotte Town) | — | — |
| Antigua and Barbuda | 3 | 3.00 m St. John | — | — |
 Dominica | 2 | 3.00 m Prince Rupert Bay | — | — |
| Saint Barthelemy (French Territory) | 2 | 2.10 m Carenage, St. Barthelemy | — | — |
| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 5 | 1.80 m Admiralty Bay, Bequia | — | — |
 St. Lucia | 4 | 1.20 m Anse-La-Raye | — | — |
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | 2 | — | — | — |
 Jamaica | 1 | — | — | — |
| Martinique (French Territory) | 1 | — | — | — |
| Saba (Dutch Territory) | 1 | — | — | — |
| Saint Martin (French and Dutch Territories) | 1 | — | — | — |
| Sint Eustatius (Dutch Territory) | 1 | — | — | — |
Highest documented water heights
15 / 62Individual 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Little Saba · Vi | 15.20 m | 16 km | USA Territory |
| St. Croix: All Of · Vi | 14.60 m | 58 km | USA Territory |
| St. Thomas: Water Island · Vi | 12.00 m | 14 km | USA Territory |
| Deshaies, Basse-Terre Island | 10.00 m | 400 km | Guadeloupe (French Territory) |
| Sainte-Rose | 10.00 m | 407 km | Guadeloupe (French Territory) |
| St. Thomas: All Of · Vi | 9.10 m | 18 km | USA Territory |
| St. Croix: Frederiksted · Vi | 7.60 m | 56 km | USA Territory |
| St. Thomas: Prince Rupert Rock · Vi | 7.00 m | 16 km | USA Territory |
| Puerto Rico · Pr | 6.10 m | 159 km | USA Territory |
| St. Thomas: Charlotte Amalie · Vi | 6.00 m | 17 km | USA Territory |
| Hassel Island · Vi | 4.90 m | 16 km | USA Territory |
| Virgin Gorda Island | 3.60 m | 70 km | British Virgin Islands (UK Territory) |
| Gouyave (Charlotte Town) · St. John | 3.05 m | 754 km | Grenada |
| Prince Rupert Bay | 3.00 m | 492 km | Dominica |
| St. John · Antigua | 3.00 m | 355 km | Antigua and Barbuda |
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.