April 16, 1690 Tsunami: Antigua, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Antigua and Barbuda
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7 earthquake began at Antigua, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Antigua and Barbuda on April 16, 1690. Its effects were recorded at 4 places in at least 3 countries.
Where the waves reached
The source (white) and every runup with a place, colored by the water height recorded there. A ring is a runup NCEI marks doubtful.
- Under 1 m
- 1 to 3 m
- 3 to 10 m
- 10 to 30 m
- 30 m and more
- Height not recorded
The tsunami
- Date
- April 16, 1690
- Source
- Antigua, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Antigua and Barbuda
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- Magnitude 7, 15 km deep
- Runups recorded
- 4
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Definite tsunami
- Source location
- 17.020° N, 62.280° W
The toll
- Deaths
- Some (about 51 to 100) with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
- Damage
- Severe (about $5 to $25 million) with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
Where the literature gives no number, NCEI records a description on a scale of 1 to 4, printed here in its words. Damage is in millions of US dollars of the year of the event, not adjusted for inflation.
What the record says
NCEI’s account, from the sources it cites.
The date of April 16 on from Gregorian calendar, which wasn't adopted in the region until later. The Julian date is April 6. The earthquake in the Leeward Islands (today's Antigua, St. Kitts, Nevis) resulted in the earliest record of a tsunami affecting any present U.S. territory, the U.S. Virgin Islands. Olsen (Reference #314) quotes a letter from the governor of St. Thomas in 1690 that stated, "Last Sunday, which was April 6, this island has been hit by a terrible earthquake lasting one-half of a quarter-of-an-hour, so that people feared their houses would come down. Some hours after that the sea receded so much that one could walk about 9 to 10 fathoms into the sea and pick out fishes on dry land." Landslides on Nevis Peak caused the sea to withdraw from Charlestown.
Every runup
Nearest the source first. Heights are above sea level at the time; a tide gauge reads half the wave’s full height.
| Where | Country | Km from source | Water height, m | Inland, m | Measured by | First wave, UTC | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlestown (Nevis) | Saint Kitts and Nevis | 38 | Eyewitness observation of water height | ||||
| Jamestown (Nevis) doubtful | Saint Kitts and Nevis | 40 | Eyewitness observation of water height | ||||
| Guadeloupe doubtful | Guadeloupe | 114 | Eyewitness observation of water height | ||||
| Virgin Islands, VI | US Territories | 318 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1690The 1600sTsunamis of Antigua and BarbudaThe earthquakeThis day in weather historyAlerts in force
Sources
Tsunami events and runups 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 tsunami event 345.