December 12, 1919 Tsunami: Nicaragua

Name: December 12, 1919 Tsunami: Nicaragua
Start: 1919-12-12
Location: Nicaragua

December 12, 1919 · Questionable tsunami

A tsunami caused by an earthquake began at Nicaragua on December 12, 1919. 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

Tsunami warnings in force

The tsunami

Date: December 12, 1919
Source: Nicaragua
Cause: Earthquake
Runups recorded: 1
Waters: Ocean
How certain: Questionable tsunami

The toll

Houses damaged: Few (about 1 to 50) 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 #273:

“Antier fue presa del panico el vecindario de El Ostial, puertecito cercano a San Juan del Sur, debido a tres fortisimos temblores que desquisiaron varias casas . “Momentos despues, la marea subio desproporcionadamente, inundando las habitaciones y han continuado asi, obligando a los vecinos a huir. El agua del mar penetro hasta los rios.” “En el Departamento de Rivas. Del Ostial avisan que han causado alarma tres temblores que se sintieron ayer. ‘ ” El mar, dicen los telegramas, desde hace tres dias esta haciendo grandes crecientes, llegando el agua hasta las primeras casas del valle por el cauce de una quebrada. “El Ostial es un fondadero que esta al sur de San Juan del Sur, y proximo a la frontera costarricense.”

[unofficial translation]: The day before yesterday, panic struck the neighborhood of El Ostial, a small port near San Juan del Sur, due to three very strong earthquakes that damaged several houses. Moments later, the tide rose disproportionately, flooding homes and continuing to do so, forcing residents to flee. The sea water penetrated as far as the rivers.“ ”In the Department of Rivas. El Ostial reports that three earthquakes felt yesterday have caused alarm. ' "The sea, according to telegrams, has been rising significantly for three days, with the water reaching the first houses in the valley via a stream. El Ostial is a fishing village south of San Juan del Sur, near the Costa Rican border.

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
El Ostial	Nicaragua				Eyewitness observation of water height

Every tsunami in 1919 The 1900s Tsunamis of Nicaragua This day in weather history Alerts 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 6081.