The Destruction of Port Royal

In May of 1969 a national magazine told the story of a tragedy that struck Port Royal, Jamaica. At other times cities have been smothered with volcanic ash, leveled by hurricanes, and shaken apart by earthquakes. However, no disaster quite matches the one that struck Port Royal, Jamaica, at 11:43 a.m., on June 7, 1692. In the space of less than 10 minutes, the thriving pirate port, reputedly the wickedest city on earth, sank convulsively into the Caribbean. Upward of 2000 people perished in the chaos. Even today, many Jamaicans believe that Port Royal’s destruction was the price exacted by an angry God for its sins. (Source: Jeff Strite Citation: Readers’ Digest May, 1969 p.192ff).