Historical tsunamis · Dec 29, 1820
1820 Flores Sea tsunami
Indonesia
The tsunami of Dec 29, 1820 originated near Flores Sea (Indonesia).
Key facts
- Date
- Dec 29, 1820
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Magnitude
- M7.5
- Depth
- 80 km
- Maximum documented water height
- 25.0 m
- Deaths
- 500
- Houses destroyed
- many (about 101–1,000)
- Damage
- moderate (about US$ 1–5 million)
- Observation records
- 7
- Countries affected
- 1
It was triggered by a magnitude 7.5 earthquake at a depth of 80 km.
The highest documented water height was 25.0 m (Bulukumba, Sulawesi, Indonesia).
7 observation sites in 1 countries are recorded.
The database records 500 deaths.
Houses destroyed: many (about 101–1,000).
Damage is estimated at moderate (about US$ 1–5 million).
Map of observation sites
7Each dot is a documented observation site; colour and size show the observed water height. The triangle marks the source.
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indonesia | 7 | 25.0 m Bulukumba, Sulawesi | 500 | — |
Highest documented water heights
7 / 7Individual 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bulukumba, Sulawesi · South Sulawesi | 25.00 m | 254 km | Indonesia |
| Nipanipa, Sulawesi · South Sulawesi | 25.00 m | 196 km | Indonesia |
| Bima, Sumbawa Island · West Nusa Tenggara | — | 165 km | Indonesia |
| Bonthain, Sulawesi · South Sulawesi | — | 192 km | Indonesia |
| Flores Island · East Nusa Tenggara | — | 276 km | Indonesia |
| Serang-Serang (Terangterang) · Banten | — | 453 km | Indonesia |
| Sumenep, Java · East Java | — | 567 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.