Historical tsunamis · Aug 9, 1901, 1:01 PM UTC
1901 Loyalty Islands tsunami
New Caledonia
The tsunami of Aug 9, 1901, 1:01 PM UTC originated near Loyalty Islands (New Caledonia).
Key facts
- Date
- Aug 9, 1901, 1:01 PM UTC
- Cause
- Volcano and earthquake
- Magnitude
- M7.9
- Maximum documented water height
- 1.20 m
- Deaths
- few (up to about 50)
- Damage
- moderate (about US$ 1–5 million)
- Observation records
- 9
- Countries affected
- 2
It was triggered by a magnitude 7.9 earthquake.
The highest documented water height was 1.20 m (Hoopuloa, Hawaii, Hi, United States).
9 observation sites in 2 countries are recorded.
Outside the source country, the earliest documented arrival was at Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, Hi (United States) after 8:30 h.
The database records few (up to about 50) deaths.
Damage is estimated at moderate (about US$ 1–5 million).
Map of observation sites
9Each 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) · Aug 9, 1901, 1:01 PM UTC
- 8:30 hUnited States · Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, Hi · 1.20 m
2 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 United States | 8 | 1.20 m Hoopuloa, Hawaii, Hi | — | 8:30 h |
 Solomon Islands | 1 | — | — | — |
Highest documented water heights
9 / 9Individual 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hoopuloa, Hawaii, Hi · Hi | 1.20 m | 5,878 km | United States |
| Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, Hi · Hi | 1.20 m | 5,908 km | United States |
| Keauhou, Hawaii, Hi · Hi | 0.90 m | 5,905 km | United States |
| Honolulu, Oahu, Hi · Hi | 0.12 m | 5,927 km | United States |
| Honuapo, Hawaii, Hi · Hi | — | 5,892 km | United States |
| Hookena, Hawaii, Hi · Hi | — | 5,893 km | United States |
| Mahukona, Hawaii, Hi · Hi | — | 5,960 km | United States |
| Napoopoo, Hawaii, Hi · Hi | — | 5,899 km | United States |
| Santa Cruz Islands | — | 1,319 km | Solomon Islands |
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.