October 27, 1787 Tsunami: Montego Bay, Jamaica
A tsunami caused by an earthquake began at Montego Bay, Jamaica on October 27, 1787. Its effects were recorded at 1 place.
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
- October 27, 1787
- Source
- Montego Bay, Jamaica
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- The earthquake
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Very doubtful tsunami
- Source location
- 18.470° N, 77.920° W
The toll
The record gives no deaths, injuries or damage for this tsunami.
What the record says
NCEI’s account, from the sources it cites.
14:20 Local time. A local shock was felt at Montego Bay, and the vessels in the harbor were agitated. No wave was reported. The agitation may have been due to a seaquake.
1787, October 27 14:20 local time. A small local shock was felt at Montego Bay, Jamaica, and the vessels in
the harbor were agitated. Mallet reports earthquakes in Jamaica at Kingston and Port Royal on Oct. 1 and
21. This is a low validity report since no wave was reported, and the agitation may have been due to a
seaquake. The event was not reported in Hall, 1907. Beminghausen, 1968; Mallet, 1854; Rubio, 1982;
Hall, 1907. Vl (reference #537)
1787, October 27, 14:20 local time. A wave was reported and vessels shaken about in the harbor. This may have been seaquake effects; a doubtful tsunami. Rubio said, "the earth undulated slightly and then shook for some time." Berninghausen, 1968; Mallet, 1855; Rubio, 1982; Tomblin & Robson, 1977. V1. (reference #1492)
1787, October 27. Jamaica. A small local shock was felt at Montego Bay (18o28' N, 77o55' W). The vessels in the harbor were agitated. (reference #43)
1787, October 27, 02:20 p.m. local time. Montego Bay in Jamaica. Lasted ten or twelve seconds. The earth undulated slightly for some time afterwards. The vessels in the harbor were agitated. Preceded by a rumbling noise and concussions like distant thunder. (reference #497)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montego Bay | Jamaica | 1 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1787The 1700sTsunamis of JamaicaThe 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 547.