Historical tsunamis · Sep 28, 2018, 10:02 AM UTC
2018 Sulawesi tsunami
Indonesia
The tsunami of Sep 28, 2018, 10:02 AM UTC originated near Sulawesi (Indonesia).
Key facts
- Date
- Sep 28, 2018, 10:02 AM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake and landslide
- Magnitude
- M7.5
- Depth
- 20 km
- Maximum documented water height
- 10.7 m
- Deaths
- 4,340
- Injuries
- 10,679
- Houses destroyed
- 3,673
- Damage
- US$ 1,500 million
- Observation records
- 290
- Countries affected
- 1
It was triggered by a magnitude 7.5 earthquake at a depth of 20 km.
The highest documented water height was 10.7 m (Tondo (10.1), Indonesia).
290 observation sites in 1 countries are recorded.
The database records 4,340 deaths.
Houses destroyed: 3,673.
Damage is estimated at US$ 1,500 million.
Map of observation sites
290Each 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 28, 2018, 10:02 AM UTC
- 0:05 hIndonesia · Pantoloan Port, Palu · 1.90 m
2 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indonesia | 290 | 10.7 m Tondo (10.1) | 101 | 0:05 h |
Highest documented water heights
15 / 290Individual 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tondo (10.1) · Central Sulawesi | 10.73 m | 65 km | Indonesia |
| Tondo · Central Sulawesi | 10.67 m | 64 km | Indonesia |
| Pantoloan · Central Sulawesi | 10.20 m | 50 km | Indonesia |
| Tondo (10.3) · Central Sulawesi | 10.14 m | 65 km | Indonesia |
| Mercure · Central Sulawesi | 10.03 m | 69 km | Indonesia |
| Pltu · Central Sulawesi | 9.29 m | 53 km | Indonesia |
| Pergudangan · Central Sulawesi | 9.17 m | 63 km | Indonesia |
| Beteng (11.05) · Central Sulawesi | 9.10 m | 65 km | Indonesia |
| Lolisaluran · Central Sulawesi | 9.05 m | 65 km | Indonesia |
| Beteng (11.03) · Central Sulawesi | 8.70 m | 65 km | Indonesia |
| Tondo (10.4) · Central Sulawesi | 8.50 m | 65 km | Indonesia |
| Taipa (13.4) · Central Sulawesi | 8.40 m | 58 km | Indonesia |
| North Beteng (10.06) · Central Sulawesi | 8.30 m | 64 km | Indonesia |
| Tondo (10.2) · Central Sulawesi | 7.97 m | 65 km | Indonesia |
| North Beteng (10.03) · Central Sulawesi | 7.90 m | 64 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.