February 19, 1893 Tsunami: Kingston, Jamaica
A tsunami caused by an earthquake began at Kingston, Jamaica on February 19, 1893. 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
- February 19, 1893
- Source
- Kingston, Jamaica
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- The earthquake
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Questionable tsunami
- Source location
- 17.970° N, 76.800° 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.
About 01:30 local time. Tomblin and Robson (reference #535) cite a local newspaper that said, "A short sharp shock which rattled doors and windows in tall houses. In the harbour a pronounced ripple crossed the water from south to north, and fish jumped out of the water on to the wharves and jetties."
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kingston Harbor | Jamaica | 0 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1893The 1800sTsunamis 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 2973.