Historic Earthquakes
Nicaragua
1992 September 02 00:16 UTC (06:16 p.m. local time)
Magnitude 7.6
At least 116 people
killed, more than 68 missing and over 13,500 left homeless in Nicaragua. At least 1,300 houses and 185 fishing
boats were destroyed along the west coast of Nicaragua. Total damage in Nicaragua is estimated at between 20 and
30 million U.S. dollars. Some damage was also reported in Costa Rica. 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.
The tsunami ran inland 1,000 meters at Masachapa, Nicaragua. 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. Felt in Chinandega and Leon Departments,
Nicaragua. Also felt at Crucero, Managua and San Marcos, Nicaragua and at San Jose, Costa Rica.
Abridged from Significant Earthquakes of the World, 1992.
