December 25, 1969 Tsunami: Grand Bourg, Guadeloupe
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7.2 earthquake began at Grand Bourg, Guadeloupe on December 25, 1969 at 21:32:27 UTC. The water rose as high as 0.23 meters. Its effects were recorded at 4 places in at least 4 countries.
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
- December 25, 1969, 21:32:27 UTC
- Source
- Grand Bourg, Guadeloupe
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- Magnitude 7.2, 7 km deep
- Maximum water height
- 0.23 m (0.8 ft)
- Runups recorded
- 4
- Tsunami magnitude (Iida)
- -3.3
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Definite tsunami
- Source location
- 15.800° N, 59.700° 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.
The earthquake (possibly seaquake) east of Grand Bourg, Guadeloupe, generated a small tsunami that was recorded at Barbados, Antigua, and Dominica.
On December 25, an earthquake in the Leeward Islands (15.8° north, 59.7° west) generated a minor tsunami that was recorded at Barbados, Antigua, and Dominica. Maximum amplitude was 0.46 meter at Barbados. (reference #45, #506)
Note: reference #1053 specifies measurements are crest to trough, not amplitude
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roseau | Dominica | 190 | 0.06 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Terre-De-Haut | Guadeloupe | 202 | Eyewitness observation of water height | ||||
| St. John | Antigua and Barbuda | 272 | 0.15 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Bridgetown | Barbados | 299 | 0.23 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) |
More
Every tsunami in 1969The 1900sTsunamis of GuadeloupeThe 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 2018.