On June 7, 1692: Port Royal Earthquake — Sinking of a Corrupt City on Earth
On June 7, 1692, an ordinary day in the city of Port Royal, Jamaica, turned into an unforgettable nightmare when an earthquake struck the earth with devastating force, destroying the entire city and flooding large parts of it under the sea in a matter of minutes. It was not just an earthquake — it was the end of a city known as the “most corrupt city on earth”, and the richest English colony in the New World.
It was not simple: a powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 7.5 on the Richter scale struck, immediately followed by a landslide and massive tsunami waves. Stone buildings collapsed, the earth slid, and the waters swallowed nearly two-thirds of the city. More than 2,000 people were killed during the disaster, while the rest miraculously survived.
Port Royal was founded in 1518 and, under British rule, became a thriving commercial center and a strategically important port. The city was a haven for pirates and a hub for huge commercial activity based on intercontinental exchange and the Caribbean current. It was no wonder that it was given the title of “most corrupt city on earth” — bars, gambling, and illicit trade were rampant in every corner.
But beneath the feet of Port Royal, the story was completely different. The city was built on a sandy peninsula, on layers of clay and water-saturated sediments. When the earthquake struck, liquefaction occurred — the water-saturated soil turned into a liquid-like substance, causing buildings to sink into the ground and drown in water. This natural collapse was one of the reasons for the horrific destruction.
This disaster did not just destroy a city — it changed the course of history in the Caribbean. The capital of Jamaica was moved from Port Royal to the neighboring Kingston, which was then just a small town. Over the centuries, Port Royal became an underwater archaeological site, attracting divers and researchers from around the world.
Today, you can visit the Port Royal archaeological site and dive into its waters to explore the remains of that great city that swung between wealth and corruption, and then was embraced by the sea forever.
