August 8, 1946 Tsunami: Northeastern Coast, Dominican Republic
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7.5 earthquake began at Northeastern Coast, Dominican Republic on August 8, 1946 at 13:28:33 UTC. The water rose as high as 0.6 meters. Its effects were recorded at 13 places in at least 5 countries. It killed 75 people.
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
- August 8, 1946, 13:28:33 UTC
- Source
- Northeastern Coast, Dominican Republic
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- Magnitude 7.5, 15 km deep
- Maximum water height
- 0.6 m (2.0 ft)
- Runups recorded
- 13
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Definite tsunami
- Source location
- 19.500° N, 69.500° W
The toll
- Deaths
- 75
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.
This event is an aftershock of the August 4, 1946 event. The epicenter was located 100 km northwest of the August 4 event, off the northeastern coast of the Dominican Republic.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sabana DE LA Mar | Dominican Republic | 49 | Eyewitness observation of water height | ||||
| Santo Domingo | Dominican Republic | 120 | Eyewitness observation of water height | 75 | |||
| Aguadilla, PR | US Territories | 275 | Eyewitness observation of water height | ||||
| Mayaguez, PR | US Territories | 286 | Eyewitness observation of water height | ||||
| San Juan, PR | US Territories | 372 | 0.6 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 8, 14:03 | ||
| Baracoa | Cuba | 531 | Eyewitness observation of water height | ||||
| Guanabo | Cuba | 1,371 | Eyewitness observation of water height | ||||
| Marianao | Cuba | 1,397 | Eyewitness observation of water height | ||||
| Santa Fe | Cuba | 1,403 | Eyewitness observation of water height | ||||
| Jaimanita | Cuba | 1,405 | Eyewitness observation of water height | ||||
| Bermuda | Bermuda (UK Territory) | 1,504 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 8, 15:30 | |||
| Daytona Beach, FL, FL | United States | 1,587 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 8, 17:30 | |||
| Atlantic City, NJ, NJ | United States | 2,251 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 8, 18:10 |
More
Every tsunami in 1946The 1900sTsunamis of Dominican RepublicThe 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 1766.