Tsunamis in 1864

May 19, 1864 Tsunami: Jacmel, Haiti

May 19, 1864 · Very doubtful tsunami

A tsunami caused by an earthquake began at Jacmel, Haiti on May 19, 1864.

Where the waves reached

The source of the tsunami. No runup with a place is recorded for it.

  • Under 1 m
  • 1 to 3 m
  • 3 to 10 m
  • 10 to 30 m
  • 30 m and more
  • Height not recorded

Tsunami warnings in force

The tsunami

Date
May 19, 1864
Source
Jacmel, Haiti
Cause
Earthquake
Earthquake
The earthquake
Runups recorded
0
Waters
Ocean
How certain
Very doubtful tsunami
Source location
18.200° N, 72.530° W

The toll

Damage
Moderate (about $1 to $5 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.

May 19, 1864, 18.1 N, 72.3 W, Jacmel, Haiti. An earthquake was felt at the port of Jacmel. Many houses were destroyed along the coast of Haiti. The shocks, felt heavily in the harbor by the vessel, George Prescot, may have produced a wave. (reference #1492)

More

Every tsunami in 1864The 1800sTsunamis of HaitiThe 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 4742.