Historical tsunamis · Apr 3, 1868, 2:24 AM UTC

1868 Hawaii tsunami

United States

The tsunami of Apr 3, 1868, 2:24 AM UTC originated near Hawaii (United States).

Key facts

Date
Apr 3, 1868, 2:24 AM UTC
Cause
Earthquake
Magnitude
M7.9
Maximum documented water height
13.7 m
Deaths
77
Houses destroyed
108
Damage
moderate (about US$ 1–5 million)
Observation records
26
Countries affected
1

It was triggered by a magnitude 7.9 earthquake.

The highest documented water height was 13.7 m (Keauhou Landing, Hawaii, Hi, United States).

26 observation sites in 1 countries are recorded.

The database records 77 deaths.

Houses destroyed: 108.

Damage is estimated at moderate (about US$ 1–5 million).

All tsunamis in United StatesRecord at NOAA/NCEI ↗

Map of observation sites

26

Each 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.

  1. 0:00 hEarthquake (origin)
  2. 0:06 hUnited States · Keauhou Landing, Hawaii, Hi · 13.70 m

2 places with a documented arrival time

Observations by country

CountryObservation recordsMaximum documented water heightDeathsEarliest arrival
United States2613.7 m
Keauhou Landing, Hawaii, Hi		540:06 h

Highest documented water heights

15 / 26

Individual documented observations for this event. Heights come from different measurement types and sources; not every location has a measured height.

Location / stationObserved heightDistance from sourceCountry
Keauhou Landing, Hawaii, Hi · Hi13.70 m41 kmUnited States
Honuapo, Hawaii, Hi · Hi6.10 m11 kmUnited States
Kaalualu, Hawaii, Hi · Hi6.10 m13 kmUnited States
Kawaa, Hawaii, Hi · Hi6.10 m13 kmUnited States
Ninole, Hawaii, Hi · Hi6.10 m14 kmUnited States
Punaluu, Hawaii, Hi · Hi6.00 m15 kmUnited States
Opihikao, Hawaii, Hi · Hi5.20 m80 kmUnited States
Pohoiki, Hawaii, Hi · Hi5.20 m86 kmUnited States
Kailua, Hawaii, Hi · Hi3.40 m88 kmUnited States
Hilo, Hawaii, Hi · Hi2.70 m93 kmUnited States
Waiakea, Hilo District, Hawaii, Hi · Hi2.10 m91 kmUnited States
Apua, Hawaii, Hi · Hi2.00 m42 kmUnited States
Kealakekua Bay, Hawaii, Hi · Hi1.20 m69 kmUnited States
Kealakomo, Hawaii, Hi · Hi1.20 m47 kmUnited States
Lahaina, Maui, Hi · Hi0.80 m242 kmUnited States

More tsunamis in United States

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.