August 15, 1802 Tsunami: Cumana, Venezuela
A tsunami caused by an earthquake began at Cumana, Venezuela on August 15, 1802. 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
- August 15, 1802
- Source
- Cumana, Venezuela
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- The earthquake
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Probable tsunami
- Source location
- 10.300° N, 64.500° 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.
Earthquakes at Cumana reportedly caused the water of the Orinoco River to rise, and left part of the river bed dry. The rudder of a vessel was broken.
1802, August 15. Rio Orinoco, Venezuela. 10.3 N, 64.5 W. At Cumana [Milne =III], 3 shocks were reported. The waters of Rio Orinoco rose so high as to leave a large part of riverbed dry. A boat had its rudder ripped off. The ground undulated like waves of the sea. A section of ground 12 m x 130 m subsided leaving a pool in its stead. Grases, 1971; Humboldt, 1842; Mallet, 1855; Milne, 1912; Perrey, 1843 & 1858. V1. (reference #1492)
1802, August 15, a little before noon, at noon, and at 8 p.m. Cumana, on the north coast of S. America. Three shocks at the hours mentioned, the last of which was less violent than the other two, and the second the most severe of the three. The waters of the Orinoco rose so high as to leave a large part of the bed of the river dry. The ground moved like the waves of the sea. In one place a piece of ground of 100 feet long and 40 wide sank down, and a pool of water appeared in its stead. In another place the ground was raised. A boat on the Orinoco received such a shock that the rudder was broken. (reference #497)
1802, August 15 [May 5 in text p. 66, August 15 in table p. 87]. Earthquakes at Cumana, Venezuela, reportedly caused the water of the Orinoco River to rise, and left part of the river bed dry. This could describe wave action near the mouth of the river, or
bore action up the river. The rudder of a vessel was broken. Mallet, 1855. V3 (reference #537)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orinoco River | Venezuela | 247 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1802The 1800sTsunamis of VenezuelaThe 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 2376.