September 28, 1849 Earthquake: Kamchatka, Russia
An earthquake struck Kamchatka, Russia on September 28, 1849 at 09:00 UTC. It caused a tsunami.
Map
Where it struck, with the other significant earthquakes within 200 km. Circles are sized and colored by magnitude; select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Date
- September 28, 1849
- Time
- 09:00 UTC
- Place
- Kamchatka, Russia
- Tsunami
- Yes: the tsunami it caused
- Epicenter
- 55.000° N, 166.000° E
- Country
- Russia
The toll
- Damage
- Limited (under about $1 million)
- Houses destroyed
- Few (about 1 to 50)
Where the literature gives no number, NCEI records a description on a scale of 1 to 4, printed here in its words. Damage is in millions of US dollars of the year of the event, not adjusted for inflation.
What the record says
NCEI’s account, from the sources it cites.
September 16, 1849 [Julian day September 28]. We present, as the fullest, the version of P. N. Doroshin (reference #4972).
"On September 16, 1849, Bering and Mednyi islands experienced a strong earthquake, because of which on Mednyi a bluff collapsed, burying a good seal rookery; the barracks, bath-house, and the saw-mill fell down, and in all of the houses without exception the stoves collapsed. It began at 8 o'clock in the evening and continued until morning of the following day. During the whole duration of that time the water alternately ebbed and flowed ceaselessly. The inhabitants took refuge on the hills."(reference #413)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- October 28, 1849, Komandorsky Island, Russia
- January 22, 1858, Komandorsky Island, Russia
- June 30, 1936, Komandorsky Island, Russia
- December 20, 2018, Off Kamchatka, Russia
- November 13, 1936, Near Kamchatka, Russia
- January 27, 1949, Kamchatka, Russia
- June 26, 2019, Off Kamchatka, Russia
- July 17, 2017, Bering Island, Russia
- November 4, 1737, Off Kamchatka, Russia
More
Significant earthquakes of 1849The 1800sRecent earthquakes near hereThis day in weather history
Sources
Significant earthquakes from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, Global Historical Hazard Database, cited as NCEI/WDS, doi:10.7289/V5PN93H7. Public domain. Read 2026-09-24. NCEI earthquake 6062.