Learn more about the tsunami that struck Newfoundland’s Burin Peninsula on November 18, 1929. The disaster took 28 lives, and hundreds more were left homeless or in poverty. It was the most severe earthquake-related event in Newfoundland and Labrador’s history, and it occurred at the beginning of a global downturn.
On November 18, 1929, the Grand Banks earthquake—also known as the South Shore Disaster and the Laurentian Slope earthquake—took place. The Atlantic Ocean off the south coast of Newfoundland, in the Laurentian Slope Seismic Zone, was the centre of the shock, which had a moment magnitude of 7.2 and a maximum Rossi–Forel intensity of VI (Strong tremor).
The epicentre of the earthquake was located around 400 kilometres (250 miles) south of the island, on the edge of Newfoundland’s Grand Banks. It was felt as far away as Montreal and New York City. The earthquake caused a massive undersea landslide displacement of 200 km3 (48 cu mi) and happened along two faults 250 km (160 mi) south of the Burin Peninsula. It caused a tsunami that came in three waves and broke 12 undersea transatlantic telegraph wires. Saint Pierre and Miquelon and Newfoundland, Canada, were most affected by the tsunami and the 12 broken underwater cables. Up to 500 times the magnitude of the Saint-Alban subaerial slide in 1894, this was Canada’s greatest submerged landslide ever documented.
Along the Burin Peninsula, the tsunami waves had a runup of 13 meters (43 feet) with an amplitude of 3 to 8 meters (9.8 to 26.2 feet). It killed 27 or 28 individuals and left 1,000 or more homeless, destroying several of the Peninsula’s south coastal towns. The devastation shut down all communication, and a blizzard the following day severely complicated relief attempts. At 06:47 following the earthquake, it was registered as far away as Lagos, Portugal, which is 4,060 kilometres (2,520 miles) away. Burin, Newfoundland, 340 km (210 mi) from the epicentre, was struck in 2 hours and 23 minutes, whereas Bermuda, 1,445 km (898 km), was only observed in 2 hours.
Tsunami travel times demonstrate the strong of the propagating waves. The waves reach open ocean islands such as Bermuda in about 2 h[hours] (mean speed ~700 km/h) and the Azores in about 4 h (~630 km/h). At the same time, tsunami wave speeds are much slower in the direction of the North America[n] coast: they require 2.7 h to reach Halifax (~230 km/h) and 4.2 h to reach Atlantic City (~380 km/h). W.H Berninghausen
On the Rossi-Forel scale, the magnitude of the earthquake that struck Prince Edward Island was assessed at IV (slight tremor) to VI (strong tremor). Its intensity ranged from III (Weak) to V (Moderate) throughout the province.
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Residents in Saint Pierre and Miquelon, a French overseas territory located roughly 18 kilometres (11 miles) west of the Burin Peninsula, were startled at 16:30 by an earthquake that lasted for nearly a minute. The docks were submerged when the ensuing tsunami hit the island of Saint-Pierre at 17:20. The island, which was once known as Île-aux-Chiens, or the Island of the Sailors, was said to have suffered the worst damage. The tsunami came from the south, rising over the height of the south bank that shields the south coast, and when it struck, it flooded the lower portion of the island. Although a number of homes and buildings were demolished (and displaced) by the waves, no casualties or injuries from the islands were reported.
In the days immediately following the tsunami, there was no electricity, radio, or telegram service. The S.S. Meigle waited three days to respond to a distress call, bringing blankets, food, doctors, nurses, assistance workers, and supplies. Around $250k (around CA$4.3 million in 2023) was donated from all over Newfoundland, the US, and the UK. No person or agency of the Newfoundland or Canadian government ever issued an official or accurate list of victims. Dr. Harris Munden Mosdell, the head of the board of Health Burin West, stated in a report titled “Loss of Life” that “twenty-seven people have died as a result of the tidal wave.” The disturbance was directly responsible for 25 fatalities. Two other deaths that followed were brought on by shock and exposure. Subsequent investigations linked the earthquake to another fatality.
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