July 3, 1992 Tsunami: Daytona Beach, FL, United States
A tsunami of meteorological origin began at Daytona Beach, FL, United States on July 3, 1992. The water rose as high as 3 meters. Its effects were recorded at 4 places.
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
- July 3, 1992
- Source
- Daytona Beach, FL, United States
- Cause
- Meteorological
- Maximum water height
- 3 m (9.8 ft)
- Runups recorded
- 4
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Questionable tsunami
The toll
- Injuries
- 75
- 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.
About 11 pm local time, "Strollers along the beach and the boardwalk were horrified to see a white wall of water 3-6 meters (10-18 feet) high come rolling in from the ocean" (Reference #1852). Between 1,500 and 2,000 vehicles were parked on the beach when the waves struck; all were floated and jammed against the seawall or under the pier. Only 100 damage reports were filed. 20 people were injured. This wave was probably meteorologically induced.
The most intense sea level event along the US East Coast occurred at Daytona Beach, Florida, on 3 July 1992 (Sallanger et al., 1995; Churchill et al., 1995). Daytona Beach was hit by 3-m-high waves, hypothesized to be a result of alongshore propagating squall line, which resonantly generated long ocean waves through the Proudman resonance. (reference #10679)
At midnight, a three-meter (ten foot) wave suddenly surged onto Daytona Beach, Florida. It injured 75 people, damaged 100 vehicles, and caused some property damage. It lasted only about one minute. It was recorded on the tide gage at St. Augustine, Florida, 75 miles north of Daytona Beach and was reported to have extended as far south as New Symrna Beach, Florida. The wave has been explained as a "shallow-water gravity wave forced by a propagating squall line." (Nickerson, 1993; Churchill, 1995). This wave was probably meteorologically induced. (reference #541)
According to Churchill et al. (1995), the maximum wave height was about 3 m above normal tide, while Sallenger et al. (1995) reported that the wave was 6 m high[...]The 1992 Daytona Beach meteotsunami was probably the strongest ever recorded on a straight beach (not in a harbour) and is classified as a "beach meteotsunami''. (reference #12544)
For example, squall lines traveling offshore generated 3‐m‐high waves on the flat, sandy beaches of Daytona Beach, Florida, on 3 July 1992. These waves struck during calm, clear weather, injuring about 75 people and severely damaging vehicles parked along the beach as well as beach infrastructure (Churchill et al., 1995; Sallenger et al., 1995). No warning was been issued at that time. (reference #14271)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daytona Beach, FL, FL | United States | 3 | Eyewitness observation of water height | ||||
| Saint Augustine, FL, FL | United States | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||||
| New Smyrna Beach, FL, FL | United States | 1.2 | Eyewitness observation of water height | ||||
| Ormand Beach, FL, FL | United States | 1.2 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1992The 1900sTsunamis of United StatesThis 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 2462.