Most of the town lies below sea level, which some believe makes Nagua susceptible to flooding that could destroy a substantial part of the town. In fact, during the reign of
Rafael Trujillo (1930–1961), the neighboring town of
Matanza, also below sea level, was destroyed by flooding caused by a
magnitude 8.0 earthquake, in 1946. Many residents of Matanza chose to resettle in the area that is now Nagua. Matanza is now a small town called
Matancita, just south of the city limits of Nagua. ==Climate==