February 16, 1896 Tsunami: Kingston, Jamaica
A tsunami caused by an earthquake began at Kingston, Jamaica on February 16, 1896 at 18:00 UTC. 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 16, 1896, 18:00 UTC
- Source
- Kingston, Jamaica
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- The earthquake
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Questionable tsunami
- Source location
- 17.600° N, 76.700° W
The toll
- Deaths
- Many (about 101 to 1,000) with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
- Damage
- Moderate (about $1 to $5 million) with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
- Houses destroyed
- Many (101 to 1,000) 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.
Reference #1492:
1896, Feb 16 (13:00 local time). 17.6 N, 76.7 W. A sharp shock was felt at Kingston. It was felt lightly throughout the whole island. It was followed by heavy roaring of the surf that lasted half-an-hour. Whether the heavy roaring was
from ocean waves or was a sound reverberation is not clear... Hall, 1907; Tomblin & Robson, 1977. V1.
Reference #535:
Jamaica, Kingston (earthquake intensity IV). Shortly after 13.00 h. A sharp shock. It was followed by a heavy roaring of the surf which lasted about half an hour. (Jamaica Post, 18.2.1896)
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 | 42 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1896The 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 5622.