Tsunamis of Costa Rica
Every tsunami NOAA records that began in or off Costa Rica, oldest to newest.
Costa Rica’s tsunamis on the map
At the source, colored by the highest water recorded. A ring is an event NCEI rates doubtful or questionable.
- Under 1 m
- 1 to 3 m
- 3 to 10 m
- 10 to 30 m
- 30 m and more
- Height not recorded
The record
- Events
- 19
- Probable or definite
- 15
- Deaths counted
- 104
The deadliest
Every event
Newest first.
- May 2, 2019, Irazu Volcano, Costa Rica
- September 5, 2012, Costa Rica
- April 22, 1991, Limon, Pandora, Costa Rica
- March 25, 1990, Costa Rica
- April 3, 1983, Costa Rica
- May 13, 1952, Costa Rica-Panama
- October 5, 1950, Costa Rica-Nicaragua
- December 6, 1941, Costa Rica-Panama
- December 5, 1941, Costa Rica-Panama
- March 4, 1924, Costa Rica
- January 31, 1916, Costa Rica-Panama
- January 20, 1905, Gulf of Nicoya, Costa Rica
- August 7, 1854, Costa Rica-Panama
- August 5, 1854, Costa Rica-Panama
- May 7, 1822, Matina, Costa Rica
- April 10, 1821, La Matina, Costa Rica
- February 22, 1798, Matina, Costa Rica
- June 21, 1746, Matina, Costa Rica
- March 16, 1579, Cano Island, Costa Rica
By country
- Albania13
- Algeria16
- Antarctica8
- Antigua and Barbuda2
- Argentina6
- Atlantic Ocean4
- Australia59
- Azerbaijan5
- Baltic Sea1
- Bangladesh6
- Barbados3
- Brazil13
- Bulgaria4
- Cameroon2
- Canada36
- Chile169
- China44
- Colombia8
- Congo2
- Cook Islands4
- Costa Rica19
- Croatia18
- Cuba7
- Cyprus6
- Dead Sea1
- Denmark1
- Dominica1
- Dominican Republic6
- East China Sea2
- Ecuador9
- Egypt5
- El Salvador8
- Eritrea1
- Fiji9
- Finland1
- France15
- French Polynesia5
- Georgia2
- Germany2
- Ghana3
- Greece189
- Greenland9
- Grenada2
- Guadeloupe8
- Guatemala9
- Haiti13
- Honduras7
- Iceland10
- India21
- Indonesia269
- Iran6
- Ireland1
- Irish Sea1
- Israel9
- Italy162
- Jamaica11
- Japan385
- Jordan2
- Kenya1
- Kermadec Islands4
- Korea1
- Lebanon6
- Marshall Islands1
- Martinique12
- Mexico84
- Micronesia6
- Montenegro4
- Montserrat5
- Morocco4
- Myanmar3
- Nauru1
- Nepal1
- Netherlands6
- New Caledonia25
- New Zealand92
- Nicaragua8
- North Korea3
- North Sea1
- Northwest Pacific Ocean2
- Norway33
- Pacific Ocean1
- Pakistan4
- Panama10
- Papua New Guinea82
- Peru77
- Philippines113
- Poland2
- Portugal43
- Romania3
- Russia112
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines2
- Samoa16
- Scotland1
- Senegal1
- Solomon Islands48
- South Africa4
- South Korea14
- Spain19
- Sri Lanka2
- Sudan1
- Sweden3
- Switzerland4
- Syria8
- Taiwan29
- Togo3
- Tonga23
- Trinidad and Tobago4
- Tunisia2
- Turkey77
- Turkmenistan3
- UK Territories5
- Ukraine12
- United Kingdom52
- United States288
- Uruguay4
- US Territories27
- Vanuatu53
- Venezuela28
- Vietnam6
- Wallis and Futuna1
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.