On the afternoon of 14 January 1907, a robust earthquake struck Kingston, Jamaica, eternally altering the course of the town’s historical past. Measuring 6.5 on the Richter Scale, the quake unleashed devastation at roughly 3:30 pm, claiming the lives of almost 1,000 folks and inflicting materials harm estimated at $30 million (equal to $823.18 million in 2025). The earthquake, one of many deadliest of its time, additionally triggered a tsunami with waves between six and eight toes in top, compounding the destruction.
In recounting the fast aftermath and the profound emotional affect of the earthquake, writer William Ralph Corridor Caine vividly described the scene:
“At 3:32 Kingston was comfortable and nicely. At 3:33 the town was a hopeless wreck, with the very solar itself obscured from our imaginative and prescient. All man’s handiwork of a technology, nay a complete century or extra, was immediately flouted. An entire neighborhood lay in ruins and in tears, in struggling and in demise.”
Unimaginable Destruction
The affect on Kingston was catastrophic. Each constructing within the metropolis sustained harm, with 85 p.c destroyed within the warehouse and enterprise districts. Fires ignited by the quake raged uncontrollably for three days, additional ravaging the already shattered metropolis. Throughout the island, areas reminiscent of Buff Bay and Annotto Bay additionally suffered important destruction. The catastrophe rendered 10,000 folks homeless, and in Port Maria, a suspension bridge was diminished to rubble. The tsunami reached Jamaica’s north coast, with a most top of eight toes, inflicting flooding in Hope Bay, Port Antonio, Saint Ann’s Bay, and different cities.
“The heightening roar is of everlasting reminiscence — it was as if some huge herd of tigers, with heat blood already on their tongues, had been out of the blue robbed of their prey”.
The Earthquake and Its Aftershocks
The primary shock lasted 35 seconds, accompanied by a deafening roar. Minor tremors preceded the occasion, and 80 aftershocks had been recorded by 5 February, with the strongest occurring on 25 February. Sadly, the one seismograph on the island ceased functioning throughout the earthquake, leaving the exact epicentre undetermined. It’s believed to have been situated alongside the South Coast Fault Zone, throughout the Wagwater Belt, or presumably within the Blue Mountains. Areas constructed on unfastened sands and gravels skilled essentially the most intense shaking, with sandblows, floor faulting, and flooding reported east of Kingston and within the Palisadoes.
Amidst the chaos, the passenger steamer “Port Kingston”, present process repairs in Kingston Harbour, narrowly escaped destruction. Non permanent repairs enabled the ship to maneuver away from a hearth raging at a close-by wharf. Within the aftermath, the vessel was repurposed as a floating hospital, with care prolonged to the adjoining wharf. The Kingston Public Hospital, regardless of dropping its water provide, continued to offer medical help across the clock. Reduction arrived on 17 January, with three United States warships bringing important provides and assist.
A Devastating Geological Phenomenon
Jamaica’s geological positioning in a posh fault zone between the Gonâve Microplate and the Caribbean Plate underpins its seismic vulnerability. The Enriquillo–Plantain Backyard Fault Zone to the east and the Walton Fault Zone to the west are main sinistral strike-slip faults that outline the island’s tectonic surroundings, leaving it liable to such catastrophic occasions.
A Lasting Legacy of Resilience
The Kingston earthquake of 1907 stays a sombre chapter in Jamaica’s historical past. Whereas the loss and struggling it introduced are immeasurable, the resilience of the Jamaican folks shines by means of within the face of adversity, providing a poignant reminder of human energy and solidarity in instances of unimaginable hardship.
Picture present to Jamaicans.com by the household of Dr. John deMercado
