1946 Dominican Republic earthquake
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UTC time | 1946-08-04 17:51:10 |
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ISC event | 898498 |
USGS-ANSS | ComCat |
Local date | August 4, 1946 |
Local time | 13:51 |
Magnitude | 7.8
Mw 8.1 Ms |
Depth | 15.0 km (9.3 mi) |
Epicenter | 19°12′00″N 69°18′58″W |
Areas affected | Dominican Republic |
Max. intensity | IX (Violent) |
Peak acceleration | 0.4 g (est) |
Tsunami | Yes |
Casualties | 2,550 |
The 1946 Dominican Republic earthquake occurred on August 4 at 17:51 UTC near Samaná, Dominican Republic. The mainshock measured 7.8 on the moment magnitude scale and 8.1 on the surface wave magnitude scale. An aftershock occurred four days later on August 8 at 13:28 UTC with a moment magnitude of 7.0. A tsunami was generated by the initial earthquake and caused widespread devastation across Hispaniola. The tsunami was observed in much of the Caribbean and the northwestern Atlantic Ocean.
A small tsunami was also recorded by tide gauges at San Juan in Puerto Rico, Bermuda and in the United States at Daytona Beach, Florida and Atlantic City, New Jersey.