On January 14, 1907, Kingston, the capital of Jamaica, was struck by the devastating earthquake of 6.2 magnitudes. The United States Geological Survey described it as one of the world’s deadliest earthquakes recorded in history. The earthquake and subsequent fires in Kingston, which lasted for three hours before any efforts could be made to put out the fires, resulted in about 1,000 deaths and caused approximately $30 million in material damage at that time. There was a tsunami reported shortly after on Jamaica’s north coast, with a wave height of about 2 m (6-8 ft).
Below are some rare historical photos of Kingston that depict the destruction caused by the 1907 earthquake.
