Historical tsunamis · Oct 22, 1951, 5:43 AM UTC
1951 Taiwan tsunami
Taiwan
The tsunami of Oct 22, 1951, 5:43 AM UTC originated near Taiwan (Taiwan).
Key facts
- Date
- Oct 22, 1951, 5:43 AM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Magnitude
- M7.3
- Depth
- 21 km
- Maximum documented water height
- 0.30 m
- Deaths
- 68
- Injuries
- 586
- Houses destroyed
- 2,382
- Damage
- severe (about US$ 5–25 million)
- Observation records
- 3
- Countries affected
- 3
It was triggered by a magnitude 7.3 earthquake at a depth of 21 km.
The highest documented water height was 0.30 m (Hualien, Taiwan).
3 observation sites in 3 countries are recorded.
Outside the source country, the earliest documented arrival was at Tofino (Clayoquot),British Columbia (Canada) after 16:02 h.
The database records 68 deaths.
Houses destroyed: 2,382.
Damage is estimated at severe (about US$ 5–25 million).
Map of observation sites
3Each 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) · Oct 22, 1951, 5:43 AM UTC
- 16:02 hCanada · Tofino (Clayoquot),British Columbia · 0.04 m
1 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taiwan | 1 | 0.30 m Hualien | — | — |
 Canada | 1 | 0.04 m Tofino (Clayoquot),British Columbia | — | 16:02 h |
 Australia | 1 | — | — | — |
Highest documented water heights
3 / 3Individual 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hualien | 0.30 m | 21 km | Taiwan |
| Tofino (Clayoquot),British Columbia · Bc | 0.04 m | 9,532 km | Canada |
| Fort Denison, Sydney Harbor Classified as doubtful | — | 7,106 km | Australia |
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.