1946 Dominican Republic earthquake

1946 Dominican Republic earthquake
The Septentrional-Oriente fault zone in the Caribbean and across Hispaniola
UTC time1946-08-04 17:51:10
ISC event898498
USGS-ANSSComCat
Local dateAugust 4, 1946 (1946-08-04)
Local time13:51 AST
Magnitude7.8 Mw
8.1 Ms
Depth15.0 km (9.3 mi)
Epicenter19°12′00″N 69°18′58″W / 19.2°N 69.316°W / 19.2; -69.316
Areas affectedDominican Republic
Max. intensityMMI IX (Violent)
Peak acceleration0.4 g (est)
TsunamiYes
Casualties1,790

The 1946 Dominican Republic earthquake occurred on August 4 at 13:51 AST near Samaná, Dominican Republic. It was the largest earthquake to occur in the instrumental area in the Caribbean. It generated a tsunami that was observed as far as New Jersey. A total of 1,790 deaths were reported.