2 September 1992, Mw 7.6, Nicaragua

A major earthquake with magnitudeestimated at 7.6 occurred off the Pacificcoast of Nicaragua on September 2, 1992.This was the strongest event since the Managua earthquake of December 23,1972, which killed between 5,000 and 12,000 people. The earthquake, generated avery destructive local tsunami which struckalong a 220 km coastal section of thePacific coast of Nicaragua. At least 27communities were impacted. Wavesreached a maximum of 10 meters in heightand penetrated by as much as 300 to 400meters inland. The tsunami had an indirector indirect impact on about 40,500 people.It killed about 170 people and left 13,000 homeless. Property losses were extremely high. Thetsunami destroyed most of Nicaragua's Pacific fishing fleet.