Historical tsunamis · Jan 4, 1907, 5:19 AM UTC
1907 NW. Sumatra tsunami
Indonesia
The tsunami of Jan 4, 1907, 5:19 AM UTC originated near NW. Sumatra (Indonesia).
Key facts
- Date
- Jan 4, 1907, 5:19 AM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Magnitude
- M8.2
- Depth
- 50 km
- Maximum documented water height
- 15.0 m
- Deaths
- 2,188
- Houses destroyed
- many (about 101–1,000)
- Damage
- severe (about US$ 5–25 million)
- Observation records
- 77
- Countries affected
- 9
It was triggered by a magnitude 8.2 earthquake at a depth of 50 km.
The highest documented water height was 15.0 m (Pulau Woenga (Pulau Wunga), Indonesia).
77 observation sites in 9 countries are recorded.
Outside the source country, the earliest documented arrival was at Port Blair, Andaman Islands (India) after 2:32 h.
The database records 2,188 deaths.
Houses destroyed: many (about 101–1,000).
Damage is estimated at severe (about US$ 5–25 million).
Map of observation sites
77Each 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 4, 1907, 5:19 AM UTC
- 2:32 hIndia · Port Blair, Andaman Islands · 0.13 m
- 7:01 hReunion (French Territory) · Pointe Des Galets
2 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indonesia | 57 | 15.0 m Pulau Woenga (Pulau Wunga) | 508 | — |
 Sri Lanka | 5 | 2.10 m Hambantota Harbor | — | — |
| Reunion (French Territory) | 5 | 2.00 m Saint Pierre | — | 7:01 h |
 India | 3 | 0.13 m Port Blair, Andaman Islands | — | 2:32 h |
 Pakistan | 1 | 0.08 m Karachi | — | — |
| French Southern and Antarctic Territories | 2 | — | — | — |
 Mauritius | 2 | — | — | — |
 Yemen | 1 | — | — | — |
 Seychelles | 1 | — | — | — |
Highest documented water heights
15 / 77Individual 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pulau Woenga (Pulau Wunga) · North Sumatra | 15.00 m | 238 km | Indonesia |
| Naibos, Simeulue · Aceh | 10.00 m | 76 km | Indonesia |
| Alafan · Aceh | 8.00 m | 30 km | Indonesia |
| Hambantota Harbor | 2.10 m | 1,644 km | Sri Lanka |
| Saint Pierre | 2.00 m | 5,108 km | Reunion (French Territory) |
| Gunungsitoli, Nias Island · North Sumatra | 0.70 m | 279 km | Indonesia |
| Galle | 0.60 m | 1,738 km | Sri Lanka |
| Sinabang, Simeulue · Aceh | 0.50 m | 97 km | Indonesia |
| Port Blair, Andaman Islands · Andaman and Nicobar | 0.13 m | 1,040 km | India |
| Karachi | 0.08 m | 3,922 km | Pakistan |
| Apollo Bandar · Maharashtra | 0.05 m | 3,056 km | India |
| Aden | — | 5,672 km | Yemen |
| Afulu · North Sumatra | — | 247 km | Indonesia |
| Angke · Aceh | — | 73 km | Indonesia |
| Awe Ketjil · Aceh | — | 85 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.