A memorial service was held this afternoon to mark a natural disaster that claimed the lives of 28 Newfoundlanders on this date 90 years ago.
A tsunami struck the Burin Peninsula, washing away homes and leaving hundreds homeless and destitute.
A 7.2 magnitude earthquake in the offshore triggered an underwater landslide, causing a tsunami.
Reports around the eastern portion of the island at the time indicated that the tide went out, exposing the bottom of some bays and coves and leaving vessels grounded.
(Damage in Port au Bras. Photo via Memorial University QEII Archives, Heritage NL.)
According to Heritage NL, three successive waves struck, estimated to be between three to seven metres above normal. In communities located on the Burin Peninsula’s narrow bays, water levels rose by between 13 and 27 metres. Because it struck after dark, residents were caught unaware—many of the victims died in their inundated homes.
The waves were registered on gauges as far away as Bermuda, Portugal and the Azores.
