Could a Caribbean Earthquake Cause a Tsunami For Louisiana?

When residents of Louisiana's Gulf Coast look southward we generally like what we see. From Grand Isle in the east to Holly Beach and Cameron in the west, the Gulf usually provides a serene scene for those looking to unwind or wet a line and harvest some of the bounty from beneath the waves.

Over the weekend, what happened beneath the waves caught many in Louisiana by surprise. If you weren't aware there was a significant earthquake reported in the Caribbean Sea. The earthquake struck about 6.2 miles below the Earth's surface about 125 miles south of the Cayman Islands.

The earthquake registered 7.6 on the Earthquake Magnitude Scale. Suppose you're wondering how a 7.6 magnitude quake compares to other earthquakes. Scientists consider a 7.6 magnitude to be a major earthquake. Had an earthquake of this magnitude been centered near a major population area there could have been significant damage and loss of life.

Fortunately, that was not the case in this instance but the earthquake was a catalyst for tsunami warnings to be issued for the Cayman Islands, Jamaica, Cuba, Mexico, Honduras, the Bahamas, Belize, Haiti, Costa Rica, Panama, Nicaragua, and Guatemala. Those tsunami waves did not materialize but it does bring into question.

Could a Caribbean Earthquake Cause a Tsunami in The Gulf?

Just when you thought hurricanes and bad oysters were the only things to be concerned with coming out of our coastal waters now comes this, not so new reason to be concerned about intense waves lashing our shoreline. But how realistic is the probability that coastal Louisiana could see a similar fate as Phuket Thailand in 2004 or the tragedy that struck Japan in 2011?

Well not only is this threat realistic, it's actually happened before. We just weren't around when it happened.

The most recent report of a tsunami in the Gulf came in 1946. There was an 8.1 magnitude earthquake that was centered near the Dominican Republic. Which isn't that far from where this past weekend's earthquake was centered. That earthquake killed more than 1,800 people and it sent large amounts of water rushing toward the shores of Gulf coastal communities.

No, it wasn't quite the catastrophe of the Fukushima disaster from a few years ago but the ingredients are present for a tsunami to occur along our coast. You might not have been aware but just a few years back in 2023 there was actually an earthquake reported in the Gulf just to the southeast of New Orleans. The earthquake registered just over 3.0 on the Richter Scale and no tsunami warnings were needed.

So, should you be worried about a tsunami on the Gulf Coast? Not really, while the potential for such a geophysical event makes it possible the likelihood of such a scenario is not thought to be likely at all.

In fact, a tsunami that affects the Gulf Coast is more likely to happen as a result of a hurricane's storm surge or like what happened in 2018 off Naples Florida when a severe thunderstorm offshore drove a large amount of wind-swept water onshore.

I think it's safe to say when it comes to water perched along our southern border hurricanes will always be Louisiana's largest concern, but just in case you ran out of things to worry about, we thought we'd remind you that there are tsunami evacuation routes posted for Louisiana. Let's hope you'll never need them.