On the Evening of September 1, 1992

On the evening of September 1, 1992, an earthquake measuring 7.0 on the Richter scale with an epicenter 75 miles southwest of Managua, Nicaragua, sent a mammoth tsunami into Nicaragua's western coast. The devastation and disaster that followed brought death and misery to thousands of Nicaraguans.

The quake and two big aftershocks that followed hit the Nicaraguan Pacific coast with a vengeance, and sent huge waves that washed over islands and coastal communities from San Juan del Sur, a city on the border with Costa Rica, to Corinto in the northwest coastal area.


Kevin Gallagher contributed these photos of remnants of buildings that were destroyed at Playa Jiquilillo, northwest of Corinto. Kevin reports that the beach was lined with houses of wealthy Nicaraguans. The water storage tank in the photo above is all that remains of what was a beautiful house on Playa Jiquilillo. Above left, another photo of the physical devastation to the structures near the beach.

It's hard to believe that the serene water below could have the power to wash away people, animals, buildings, boats and everything else in its path.

Thank you Kevin for letting your photos appear on NicaPOD!