September 27, 1902 Tsunami: Ocos, Guatemala
A tsunami probably caused by an earthquake began at Ocos, Guatemala on September 27, 1902.
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
The tsunami
- Date
- September 27, 1902
- Source
- Ocos, Guatemala
- Cause
- Questionable earthquake
- Runups recorded
- 0
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Very doubtful tsunami
- Source location
- 14.000° N, 91.000° W
The toll
- Damage
- Limited (under about $1 million)
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.
The Advertiser, Adelaide, South Australia, Thursday 25 December 1902, p. 5. A FLAMING CRATER. HORROR IN GUATEMALA. AN ENTIRE REPUBLIC STRICKEN...
The eruption of October 25 has been definitely located in the region of the vapors, and it is the theory of Guatemalan scientists that the earthquake of April 18 cracked the under side of the mountain to a depth below the sea level, permitting the flow of water upon the dormant lava of the volcano. The subsequent earthquakes were, in his opinion, the result of interior explosions of the steam thus generated, and the final eruption that has devastated the Santa Maria region is ascribed to a last gigantic effort of this imprisoned vapor to burst its fetters. On September 27 a tidal wave rolled in upon the coast of
Guatemala, concentrating upon the shore at Ocos, north of Champerico, where it destroyed the pier and washed away the beach, tearing the ocean bed to a depth of seven fathoms, where the lead had previously sounded only five fathoms. The course of the river at Ocos was diverted, and now flows into the harbor close to the town, a considerable distance from its original point of entrance. (reference #7815)
More
Every tsunami in 1902The 1900sTsunamis of GuatemalaThis 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 5102.