At the height of its glittering wealth, on June 7, 1692, Port Royal was consumed by an earthquake and two thirds of the town sank into the sea. A series of fires and hurricanes followed and the town was never restored to its former glory.
Did an earthquake destroy Port Royal?
On June 7, 1692, a massive earthquake devastates the town of Port Royal in Jamaica, killing thousands. The strong tremors, soil liquefaction and a tsunami brought on by the earthquake combined to destroy the entire town.
How big was the earthquake that destroyed Port Royal?
At 11:43 am local time on June 7, 1692, the city of Port Royal, Jamaica was hit by a powerful magnitude 7.7 earthquake. The earthquake caused a landslide which forced a section of the harbour to collapse into deeper water and this generated a tsunami which destroyed ninety percent of the buildings in the city.