August 15, 1939 Earthquake: Santa Clara, Cuba

Name: August 15, 1939 Earthquake: Santa Clara, Cuba
Start: 1939-08-15
Location: Santa Clara, Cuba

August 15, 1939 · M5.6

A magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck Santa Clara, Cuba on August 15, 1939 at 03:52 UTC. It caused a tsunami.

Map

Where it struck, with the other significant earthquakes within 200 km. Circles are sized and colored by magnitude; select one for its page.

The earthquake

Date: August 15, 1939
Time: 03:52 UTC
Place: Santa Clara, Cuba
Magnitude: 5.6 (mb)
Intensity: 8 on the Modified Mercalli scale
Tsunami: Yes: the tsunami it caused
Epicenter: 22.200° N, 79.100° W
Country: Cuba

The toll

The record gives no deaths, injuries or damage for this earthquake.

What the record says

NCEI’s account, from the sources it cites.

The Barbados Advocate (1939) reported a moderate 2-second tremor at Santa Clara; the Remedios hospital was damaged and many injured. Rubio (1982) said the shock caused a tsunami. He believed the earthquake "epicenter was localized in the sea."

Significant earthquakes of 1939 The 1900s Every quake the USGS located in 1939 Recent earthquakes near here This day in weather history

Sources

Significant earthquakes from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, Global Historical Hazard Database, cited as NCEI/WDS, doi:10.7289/V5PN93H7. Public domain. Read 2026-09-24. NCEI earthquake 6342.