March 1882 Tsunami: Puerto Rico, US Territories
A tsunami of unknown cause began at Puerto Rico, US Territories in March 1882. 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
- March 1882
- Source
- Puerto Rico, US Territories
- Cause
- Unknown
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Questionable tsunami
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.
Quizas debido a corrientes sismicas cuyo origen no se determino, alla en dias de Marzo de 1882 el mar se retiro por dos o tres veces en la rada de Ponce, mas de diez metros de su nivel comun en las orillas. Entonces no hubo el panico que se desperto en Ponce con el avance del mar en 18 de Noviembre de 1867. La gente parece que habia progresado algo en el conocimiento practico de estos hechos que no tienen nada de sobrenaturales. [Perhaps due to seismic waves whose origin was not determined, back in March 1882, the sea retreated two or three times in the Ponce harbour, more than ten metres from its normal level on the shores. At that time there was not the panic that was awakened in Ponce with the advance of the sea on November 18, 1867. The people seem to have made some progress in the practical knowledge of these events, which have nothing supernatural about them.] (reference #14053)
1882 March. Ponce. Tsunami? observed in Ponce caused, apparently, by a distant earthquake. (reference #14050)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ponce, PR | US Territories | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1882The 1800sTsunamis of US TerritoriesAlerts 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 6031.