Historical tsunamis · Jan 31, 1906, 3:36 PM UTC
1906 Off Coast tsunami
Ecuador
The tsunami of Jan 31, 1906, 3:36 PM UTC originated near Off Coast (Ecuador).
Key facts
- Date
- Jan 31, 1906, 3:36 PM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Magnitude
- M8.8
- Depth
- 20 km
- Maximum documented water height
- 5.00 m
- Deaths
- 1,000
- Houses destroyed
- many (about 101–1,000)
- Damage
- severe (about US$ 5–25 million)
- Observation records
- 54
- Countries affected
- 9
It was triggered by a magnitude 8.8 earthquake at a depth of 20 km.
The highest documented water height was 5.00 m (Tumaco, Colombia).
54 observation sites in 9 countries are recorded.
Outside the source country, the earliest documented arrival was at Tumaco (Colombia) after 0:30 h.
The database records 1,000 deaths.
Houses destroyed: many (about 101–1,000).
Damage is estimated at severe (about US$ 5–25 million).
Map of observation sites
54Each 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) · Jan 31, 1906, 3:36 PM UTC
- 0:30 hColombia · Tumaco · 5.00 m
- 11:42 hUnited States · Honolulu, Oahu, Hi · 0.13 m
- 19:24 hJapan · Hakodate · 0.17 m
- 26:25 hNew Zealand · Gisborne · 0.60 m
10 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Colombia | 29 | 5.00 m Tumaco | 598 | 0:30 h |
 United States | 5 | 1.80 m Hilo, Hawaii, Hi | — | 11:42 h |
| Ecuador | 4 | 0.80 m Bahia Caraquez | — | — |
 Panama | 3 | 0.70 m Naos Is, Canal Zone, Pacific Coast | — | — |
 New Zealand | 1 | 0.60 m Gisborne | — | 26:25 h |
 Japan | 6 | 0.28 m Fukahori | — | 19:24 h |
 Costa Rica | 4 | — | — | — |
 El Salvador | 1 | — | — | — |
 Canada | 1 | — | — | — |
Highest documented water heights
15 / 54Individual 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tumaco · Narino | 5.00 m | 120 km | Colombia |
| Hilo, Hawaii, Hi · Hi | 1.80 m | 8,482 km | United States |
| Guapi · Cauca | 1.00 m | 243 km | Colombia |
| Bahia Caraquez · Manabi | 0.80 m | 210 km | Ecuador |
| Naos Is, Canal Zone, Pacific Coast | 0.70 m | 880 km | Panama |
| Gisborne · Gisborne | 0.60 m | 11,172 km | New Zealand |
| Kahului, Maui, Hi · Hi | 0.30 m | 8,638 km | United States |
| Fukahori · Nagasaki | 0.28 m | 15,192 km | Japan |
| Kushimoto · Wakayama | 0.24 m | 14,721 km | Japan |
| Ayukawa · Miyagi | 0.18 m | 13,984 km | Japan |
| Hakodate · Hokkaido | 0.17 m | 13,804 km | Japan |
| Hososhima · Miyazaki | 0.15 m | 15,087 km | Japan |
| Nagasaki · Nagasaki | 0.14 m | 15,185 km | Japan |
| Honolulu, Oahu, Hi · Hi | 0.13 m | 8,785 km | United States |
| San Francisco, Ca · Ca | 0.06 m | 6,003 km | United States |
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.