Jamaica Earthquake
- When
- 1692
- Where
- Port Royal, Jamaica
- Episodes
- 1
On 7 June 1692, a major earthquake struck Port Royal, Jamaica, causing the city to sink below sea level. Contemporary accounts describe the rapid submersion of the town and significant loss of life, with estimates of two thousand souls perishing in the immediate aftermath.
Episodes
Background and detail
Port Royal's Status. Prior to the disaster, Port Royal was a pivotal colonial hub in Jamaica. It was recognized as one of the wealthiest ports in the Americas and served as a common home port for privateers and pirates operating in the Caribbean Sea.
Seismic Event and Submersion. The earthquake struck on 7 June 1692, causing most of the city to sink below sea level. Contemporary reports indicate that within two minutes, nine-tenths of the city were covered with water, which rose high enough to enter the upper rooms of remaining structures.
People involved
- Robert Renny · Author of An History of Jamaica (1807)
- Captain Crocket · Author of 1692 account
Sources
- 1692 Jamaica earthquake Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-08
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.