1946 Dominican Republic earthquake
Encyclopedia
The 1946 Dominican Republic earthquake refers to the earthquake
of magnitude
8.0 that hit Samaná, Dominican Republic
on August 4, 1946 at 17:51 UTC. An aftershock occurred four days later on August 8 at 13.28 UTC with a magnitude of 7.6.
The earthquake killed around 100, but left some 20,000 people homeless. The death toll was unusually low as it coincided with a holiday in the afternoon, when most people were outdoors. It caused severe damage in the northern Dominican Republic from Samana to Santiago and Puerto Plata. Slumping and sand blows were observed in the Yaque del Norte and Yuna River
Valleys.
The earthquake was felt strongly in parts of Haiti
and Puerto Rico
, and to a lesser extent in the Virgin Islands and eastern Cuba
. The earthquake also caused a tsunami
which struck at Matanza
, near Nagua
(Julia Molina) where a 2.5 m (8 ft) - 4-5m (13–16 ft) high wave drowned a number of people and affected an area of land several kilometres inland. Tsunami associated with the quake killed 1600-1800 people, for a total of about 2550 fatalities. A small tsunami was also recorded by tide gauges at San Juan, Puerto Rico
, Bermuda
and in the United States at Daytona Beach, Florida
and Atlantic City, New Jersey
.
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
of magnitude
Richter magnitude scale
The expression Richter magnitude scale refers to a number of ways to assign a single number to quantify the energy contained in an earthquake....
8.0 that hit Samaná, Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
on August 4, 1946 at 17:51 UTC. An aftershock occurred four days later on August 8 at 13.28 UTC with a magnitude of 7.6.
The earthquake killed around 100, but left some 20,000 people homeless. The death toll was unusually low as it coincided with a holiday in the afternoon, when most people were outdoors. It caused severe damage in the northern Dominican Republic from Samana to Santiago and Puerto Plata. Slumping and sand blows were observed in the Yaque del Norte and Yuna River
Yuna River
The Yuna River is in the Dominican Republic. The river flooded in 2000 and 2004 causing loss of life and livelihood. The river is the second longest river in the Dominican Republic measuring at 209 km long....
Valleys.
The earthquake was felt strongly in parts of Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
and Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
, and to a lesser extent in the Virgin Islands and eastern Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
. The earthquake also caused a tsunami
Tsunami
A tsunami is a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, typically an ocean or a large lake...
which struck at Matanza
Matanza
Matanza may refer to Brazilian Matanza -a country/hardcore band from Rio de Janeiro- or to any of the following places:*Argentina**Matanza River, Buenos Aires Province...
, near Nagua
Nagua
Nagua is the capital of María Trinidad Sánchez province, in the northeastern Dominican Republic.A medium-sized town, Nagua's economy relies on the production of agricultural products, principally rice, coconuts, and cocoa bean...
(Julia Molina) where a 2.5 m (8 ft) - 4-5m (13–16 ft) high wave drowned a number of people and affected an area of land several kilometres inland. Tsunami associated with the quake killed 1600-1800 people, for a total of about 2550 fatalities. A small tsunami was also recorded by tide gauges at San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
, Bermuda
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
and in the United States at Daytona Beach, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
and Atlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States, and a nationally renowned resort city for gambling, shopping and fine dining. The city also served as the inspiration for the American version of the board game Monopoly. Atlantic City is located on Absecon Island on the coast...
.