Historical tsunamis · Sep 29, 1899, 5:03 PM UTC
1899 Banda Sea tsunami
Indonesia
The tsunami of Sep 29, 1899, 5:03 PM UTC originated near Banda Sea (Indonesia).
Key facts
- Date
- Sep 29, 1899, 5:03 PM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake and landslide
- Magnitude
- M7.8
- Maximum documented water height
- 12.0 m
- Deaths
- 2,460
- Injuries
- 300
- Damage
- severe (about US$ 5–25 million)
- Observation records
- 10
- Countries affected
- 1
It was triggered by a magnitude 7.8 earthquake.
The highest documented water height was 12.0 m (Tehoru, Indonesia).
10 observation sites in 1 countries are recorded.
The database records 2,460 deaths.
Damage is estimated at severe (about US$ 5–25 million).
Map of observation sites
10Each dot is a documented observation site; colour and size show the observed water height. The triangle marks the source.
Tsunami arrival times
Documented arrival times from the NOAA/NCEI database, showing the earliest recorded location per country. Coverage is incomplete: a country without an entry was not necessarily spared.
- 0:00 hEarthquake (origin)
- 0:10 hIndonesia · Amahai · 8.30 m
2 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indonesia | 10 | 12.0 m Tehoru | 2,742 | 0:10 h |
Highest documented water heights
10 / 10Individual documented observations for this event. Heights come from different measurement types and sources; not every location has a measured height.
| Location / station | Observed height | Distance from source | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tehoru · Maluku | 12.00 m | 119 km | Indonesia |
| Laimu · North Sulawesi | 9.00 m | 615 km | Indonesia |
| Paulohi · Maluku | 9.00 m | 43 km | Indonesia |
| Amahai · Maluku | 8.30 m | 59 km | Indonesia |
| Makariki · Maluku | 6.40 m | 58 km | Indonesia |
| Taniwil · Maluku | 4.60 m | 19 km | Indonesia |
| Hatusua, Piru Bay · Maluku | 4.00 m | 39 km | Indonesia |
| Indonesia: Kawa, Seram Island · Maluku | 1.70 m | 42 km | Indonesia |
| Tumaleu · Maluku | — | 63 km | Indonesia |
| Uwalohi · Maluku | — | 50 km | Indonesia |
More tsunamis
Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), Global Historical Tsunami Database. Confirmed events only. Deaths and damage are database estimates; older records are incomplete. Water heights come from different types of observation.