September 2, 1992 Tsunami: Nicaragua

Name: September 2, 1992 Tsunami: Nicaragua
Start: 1992-09-02
Location: Nicaragua

September 2, 1992 · 9.9 m · 170 deaths · $30 million · 1,500 houses destroyed · Definite tsunami

A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7.6 earthquake began at Nicaragua on September 2, 1992 at 00:16:03 UTC. The water rose as high as 9.9 meters. Its effects were recorded at 83 places in at least 9 countries. It killed 170 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

Tsunami warnings in force

The tsunami

Date: September 2, 1992, 00:16:03 UTC
Source: Nicaragua
Cause: Earthquake
Earthquake: Magnitude 7.6, 30 km deep
Maximum water height: 9.9 m (32.5 ft)
Runups recorded: 83
Tsunami intensity (Soloviev-Imamura): 2.8
Tsunami magnitude (Iida): 3.3
Waters: Ocean
How certain: Definite tsunami
Source location: 11.500° N, 87.609° W

The toll

Deaths: 170
Injuries: 489
Damage: $30 million
Houses destroyed: 1,500

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.

On September 2, 1992, a magnitude 7.2 Ms (USGS) earthquake at 00:16 UT off the Nicaragua coast killed at least 168 people, injured 489, and left more than 13,500 homeless. More than 40,000 people were affected with losses. The combined effects of the earthquake and tsunami destroyed at least 1,500 homes, and 185 fishing boats were lost in the tsunami. The total damage was estimated at $20 to $30 million. (reference #1315)

Most of the casualties and damage were caused by a tsunami affecting the west coasts of Nicaragua and Costa Rica, reaching heights of up to 8 meters [...] Maximum wave heights (in cm. peak-to-trough) at selected tide stations were as follows: 111 at Baltra Island, 83 at Easter Island, 28 at Socorro Island, 18 at La Libertad, Ecuador, 10 at Valparaiso, Chile and 10 at Hilo, Hawaii. (reference #1053)

Reference #273 lists 170 fatalities.

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
Poneloya	Nicaragua	115	5		Eyewitness observation of water height		12
Playa Hermosa	Nicaragua	116	3.6		Eyewitness observation of water height
El Transito	Nicaragua	116	6.62		Runup height, post-tsunami survey
El Transito	Nicaragua	116	6.66		Runup height, post-tsunami survey		16
El Transito	Nicaragua	116	9.9		Runup height, post-tsunami survey
Salinas Grandes	Nicaragua	117	4.15		Runup height, post-tsunami survey		4
Salinas Grandes	Nicaragua	117	4.84		Runup height, post-tsunami survey
Salinas Grandes	Nicaragua	117	5.34		Runup height, post-tsunami survey
Salinas Grandes	Nicaragua	117	6.74		Runup height, post-tsunami survey
Salinas Grandes	Nicaragua	117	3.71		Runup height, post-tsunami survey
Salinas Grandes	Nicaragua	117	4.98		Runup height, post-tsunami survey
San Martin	Nicaragua	117	8.2		Runup height, post-tsunami survey		3
Corinto	Nicaragua	118	2.9		Eyewitness observation of water height		1
Corinto	Nicaragua	118	0.4		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Puerto Sandino	Nicaragua	118	1.94		Runup height, post-tsunami survey
P.E. Nicaragua	Nicaragua	118	6.09		Runup height, post-tsunami survey
P.E. Nicaragua	Nicaragua	118	7.09		Runup height, post-tsunami survey
Miramar	Nicaragua	118	7.06		Runup height, post-tsunami survey
Velero	Nicaragua	118	5.4		Runup height, post-tsunami survey
Puerto Sandino	Nicaragua	120			Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Puerto Sandino	Nicaragua	120	3.3		Runup height, post-tsunami survey
Puerto Sandino	Nicaragua	120	1.79		Runup height, post-tsunami survey
Puerto Sandino	Nicaragua	120	2.75		Runup height, post-tsunami survey
Masachapa	Nicaragua	123	6		Eyewitness observation of water height		16
Julio	Nicaragua	123	7.6		Runup height, post-tsunami survey
Montelimar	Nicaragua	124	4.5		Runup height, post-tsunami survey
Pochomil	Nicaragua	125	5		Eyewitness observation of water height		9
La Boquita	Nicaragua	136	6		Eyewitness observation of water height
Casares	Nicaragua	137	6		Eyewitness observation of water height		6
Jiquilillo	Nicaragua	137	4.6		Runup height, post-tsunami survey		2
Huehuete	Nicaragua	141	5		Eyewitness observation of water height		2
Mechapa	Nicaragua	148	4		Eyewitness observation of water height		1
Santa Elena (Santa Elenta)	Nicaragua	149	6.1	90	Runup height, post-tsunami survey		1
Santa Elena	Nicaragua	149	6.18		Runup height, post-tsunami survey		1
Popoyo	Nicaragua	162	6		Eyewitness observation of water height		15
La Salinas	Nicaragua	186	6.5		Eyewitness observation of water height
Bahía Marsella	Nicaragua	188	5.11		Runup height, post-tsunami survey
Bahía Marsella	Nicaragua	188	4.34		Runup height, post-tsunami survey
Bahía Marsella	Nicaragua	188	5.22		Runup height, post-tsunami survey
Bahía Marsella	Nicaragua	188	5.88		Runup height, post-tsunami survey
Bahía Marsella	Nicaragua	188	4.49		Runup height, post-tsunami survey
Bahía Marsella	Nicaragua	188	5.05		Runup height, post-tsunami survey
Bahía Marsella	Nicaragua	188	6.16		Runup height, post-tsunami survey
Bahía Marsella	Nicaragua	188	6.56		Runup height, post-tsunami survey
Bahía Marsella	Nicaragua	188	7.33		Runup height, post-tsunami survey
San Juan del Sur	Nicaragua	192	5		Eyewitness observation of water height		7
Playas del Coco	Nicaragua	201	4.5		Eyewitness observation of water height
Playa El Coco	Nicaragua	201	4.14		Runup height, post-tsunami survey
Playa LA Flor	Nicaragua	202	4.22		Runup height, post-tsunami survey
Playa LA Flor	Nicaragua	202	3.16		Runup height, post-tsunami survey
Playa LA Flor	Nicaragua	202	3.47		Runup height, post-tsunami survey
Playa LA Flor	Nicaragua	202	3.57		Runup height, post-tsunami survey
Playa LA Flor	Nicaragua	202	4.36		Runup height, post-tsunami survey
Bahia Ostional	Nicaragua	206	2.47		Runup height, post-tsunami survey
Bahia Ostional	Nicaragua	207	6.16		Runup height, post-tsunami survey
Bahia Ostional	Nicaragua	207	5.11		Runup height, post-tsunami survey
Bahia Ostional	Nicaragua	207	2.84		Runup height, post-tsunami survey
Bahia Ostional	Nicaragua	207	3.89		Runup height, post-tsunami survey
Cuajiniquil	Costa Rica	217	1		Eyewitness observation of water height
Puerto Mora (Puerto Castilla)	Costa Rica	217	0.6		Runup height, post-tsunami survey
Puerto Soley	Costa Rica	218	1		Eyewitness observation of water height
Junquillal, LA Cruz	Costa Rica	218			Eyewitness observation of water height
Flamingo	Costa Rica	231	5.3		Eyewitness observation of water height	day 2, 00:36
Octal	Costa Rica	231	7.3		Eyewitness observation of water height
Brasilito	Costa Rica	232	4.5		Eyewitness observation of water height
Potrero Bay	Costa Rica	232			Eyewitness observation of water height
Coco	Costa Rica	234	3.85		Eyewitness observation of water height	day 2, 00:31
Playa Hermosa	Costa Rica	234			Eyewitness observation of water height	day 2, 00:31
Bahia Tamarindo	Costa Rica	235	3.5		Eyewitness observation of water height	day 2, 00:31
Baltra Island	Ecuador	1,352	0.56		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)	day 2, 02:38
La Libertad	Ecuador	1,689	0.09		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)	day 2, 03:29
Socorro Island	Mexico	2,638	0.15		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)	day 2, 04:59
Cabo San Lucas	Mexico	2,680	0.14		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Easter Island	Chile	4,884	0.42		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)	day 2, 07:51
Valparaiso	Chile	5,212	0.06		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Hilo, Hawaii, HI, HI	United States	7,248	0.08		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)	day 2, 10:16
Kawaihae, Hawaii, HI, HI	United States	7,326	0.06		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Kahului, Maui, HI, HI	United States	7,387	0.06		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Papeete, Tahiti	French Polynesia	7,530	0.03		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Rarotonga	Cook Islands	8,676	0.05		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Kesennuma	Japan	12,461	0.07		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
El Velero	Nicaragua		6		Eyewitness observation of water height
La Liberdad	Mexico		0.08		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)

Photos

From the NCEI/WDS Natural Hazards Image Database (doi:10.7289/V5154F01). Only photos by the USGS and NOAA, which are public domain, are shown.

Every tsunami in 1992 The 1900s Tsunamis of Nicaragua The earthquake 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 2213.