(Oct. 12, 2012) -- In 1918, the "war to end all wars" was winding down in the cities, towns and battlefields of Europe. In 1918, the Spanish Flu began to claim tens of millions of lives as it spread relentlessly throughout the World. In 1918, the Bolsheviks overthrew Russia's czarist government and gave birth to the modern Communist Party.

With such momentous events, it is perhaps understandable that the World took little note of the earthquake and tsunami that rocked and inundated Puerto Rico's northwestern coast on October 11th of that year.

But following the horrendous loss of life in the Indian Ocean Tsunami eight years ago, marking the anniversary of the Puerto Rico tsunami today should have a more sobering effect.

"If the 1918 tsunami were to strike the same coastal region of Puerto Rico today, the level of death and destruction could be catastrophic. Due to population growth and tourism, the current estimate for a tsunami of that magnitude could be as high as 30,000 deaths," said Bill Proenza, regional director of the National Weather Service, Southern Region.

"This historic event is yet another stark reminder that a devastating and deadly tsunami can strike anytime and anywhere in the Caribbean or Atlantic Basins where millions of people could be in harm's way."

With a registered magnitude of 7.5 on the Richter Scale, the earthquake struck about 17 miles offshore at 10:14 a.m. Within minutes, a tsunami wave estimated at 20 feet struck the coast with devastating effect on the communities of Mayagüez and Aguadilla.

As many as 116 people died, 40 of them as a direct consequence of the tsunami, and $4 million (1918 dollars) in property damage occurred.

As part of major tsunami mitigation effort, the National Weather Service established the Caribbean Tsunami Warning Program in Mayagüez and appointed former Puerto Rico Seismic Network Director Christa von Hillebrandt-Andrade as Manager in 2010.

"Almost 100 tsunamis have struck the shores of the Caribbean nations over the past 500 years, with the most recent deadly tsunami generated by the 2010 Haiti earthquake", noted von Hillebrandt-Andrade.

"While some improvements have been made in tsunami preparedness and warnings in recent years, much more is needed to protect the highly populated coastlines in the Caribbean."

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