Historical tsunamis · Sep 29, 2009, 5:48 PM UTC
2009 Samoa Islands tsunami
Samoa
The tsunami of Sep 29, 2009, 5:48 PM UTC originated near Samoa Islands (Samoa).
Key facts
- Date
- Sep 29, 2009, 5:48 PM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Magnitude
- M8.1
- Depth
- 18 km
- Maximum documented water height
- 22.4 m
- Deaths
- 192
- Injuries
- 7
- Damage
- US$ 285 million
- Observation records
- 616
- Countries affected
- 25
It was triggered by a magnitude 8.1 earthquake at a depth of 18 km.
The highest documented water height was 22.4 m (Tafahi 2, Tafahi Island, Tonga).
616 observation sites in 25 countries are recorded.
Outside the source country, the earliest documented arrival was at Pago Pago, American Samoa (USA Territory) after 0:14 h.
The database records 192 deaths.
Damage is estimated at US$ 285 million.
Map of observation sites
616Each 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) · Sep 29, 2009, 5:48 PM UTC
- 0:14 hUSA Territory · Pago Pago, American Samoa · 2.73 m
- 0:21 hSamoa · Apia, Upolu Island · 0.78 m
- 1:26 hTonga · Nukualofa (Nuku'alofa) · 0.15 m
- 1:48 hCook Islands · Rarotonga · 0.62 m
- 2:12 hFiji · Suva, King's Wharf · 0.09 m
- 3:12 hFrench Polynesia · Papeete, Tahiti · 0.15 m
- 3:24 hKiribati · Christmas Island, Line Islands · 0.17 m
- 4:08 hVanuatu · Luganville · 0.17 m
- 4:13 hNew Zealand · Kaingaroa, Chatham Island · 0.39 m
- 5:44 hUnited States · Nawiliwili, Kauai, Hi · 0.20 m
- 6:50 hMicronesia, Fed. States Of · Dekehtik, Pohnpei · 0.02 m
- 7:54 hAustralia · Port Kembla · 0.16 m
- 9:47 hRussia · Malokuril'skaya Bay, Shikotan
- 9:54 hChile · Easter Island · 0.25 m
- 10:12 hAntarctica · Scott Base (New Zealand) · 0.01 m
- 10:49 hJapan · Ofunato · 0.10 m
81 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Tonga | 75 | 22.4 m Tafahi 2, Tafahi Island | 9 | 1:26 h |
| USA Territory | 215 | 17.6 m Poloa, Tutuila Island | — | 0:14 h |
| Samoa | 169 | 14.4 m Lepa, Upolu Island | 207 | 0:21 h |
| Wallis and Futuna (French Territory) | 42 | 4.50 m Alofi Island | — | — |
 United States | 39 | 1.20 m Keauhou Bay, Hawaii, Hi | — | 5:44 h |
 Mexico | 3 | 0.62 m Manzanillo | — | 10:55 h |
 Cook Islands | 2 | 0.62 m Rarotonga | — | 1:48 h |
 New Zealand | 24 | 0.41 m Chatham Island | — | 4:13 h |
 Chile | 12 | 0.40 m Caldera | — | 9:54 h |
 French Polynesia | 3 | 0.38 m Hiva Oa Island, Marquesas Islands | — | 3:12 h |
 Peru | 2 | 0.32 m Callao la Punta | — | — |
 Japan | 10 | 0.20 m Ayukawa | — | 10:49 h |
 Vanuatu | 2 | 0.18 m Port Vila, Efate Island | — | 4:08 h |
 Kiribati | 1 | 0.17 m Christmas Island, Line Islands | — | 3:24 h |
 Australia | 2 | 0.16 m Port Kembla | — | 7:54 h |
 Russia | 2 | 0.13 m Severo-Kurilsk, Paramushir Island | — | 9:47 h |
 Ecuador | 1 | 0.13 m Baltra Island | — | — |
 Fiji | 2 | 0.09 m Lautoka | — | 2:12 h |
 Canada | 3 | 0.07 m Langara Island, British Columbia | — | 11:34 h |
 New Caledonia | 2 | 0.05 m Noumea | — | — |
 Solomon Islands | 1 | 0.03 m Honiara, Guadalcanal | — | — |
| Micronesia, Fed. States Of | 1 | 0.02 m Dekehtik, Pohnpei | — | 6:50 h |
 Tuvalu | 1 | 0.02 m Funafuti | — | — |
 Antarctica | 1 | 0.01 m Scott Base (New Zealand) | — | 10:12 h |
 Costa Rica | 1 | — | — | — |
Highest documented water heights
15 / 616Individual 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tafahi 2, Tafahi Island | 22.35 m | 182 km | Tonga |
| Tafahi 8, Tafahi Island | 22.00 m | 182 km | Tonga |
| Tafahi 4, Tafahi Island | 19.91 m | 182 km | Tonga |
| Tafahi 10, Tafahi Island | 19.57 m | 182 km | Tonga |
| Tafahi 3, Tafahi Island | 18.02 m | 182 km | Tonga |
| Poloa, Tutuila Island · As | 17.59 m | 188 km | USA Territory |
| Tafahi 1, Tafahi Island | 17.27 m | 182 km | Tonga |
| Poloa, Tutuila Island · As | 16.30 m | 187 km | USA Territory |
| Tafahi 5, Tafahi Island | 15.90 m | 182 km | Tonga |
| Hikuniu Beach 2, Niuatoputapu Is | 15.82 m | 184 km | Tonga |
| Lepa, Upolu Island | 14.45 m | 172 km | Samoa |
| Poloa, Tutuila Island · As | 12.99 m | 188 km | USA Territory |
| Toma Beach, Niuatoputapu Island | 12.66 m | 188 km | Tonga |
| Hikuniu Beach 1, Niuatoputapu Is | 12.55 m | 184 km | Tonga |
| Hikuniu Beach 2, Niuatoputapu Is | 12.52 m | 184 km | Tonga |
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.