November 17, 1857 Earthquake: Kema, Sulawesi Island, Indonesia
An earthquake struck Kema, Sulawesi Island, Indonesia on November 17, 1857. 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
- November 17, 1857
- Place
- Kema, Sulawesi Island, Indonesia
- Tsunami
- Yes: the tsunami it caused
- Epicenter
- 1.350° N, 125.200° E
- Country
- Indonesia
The toll
- Damage
- Moderate (about $1 to $5 million) with its tsunami and other effects
- Houses destroyed
- Many (101 to 1,000) with its tsunami and other effects
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.
1857, November 17, 4:00-4:30. There were shocks at Manado, Kema and on Ternate Island. Very high tidal waves appeared at the latter two points and carried away many huts and trees. The old men could not remember such large floods. (reference #414)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- February 8, 1845, Menado, Tikala, Tomohon, N Sulawesi, Indonesia
- May 14, 1932, Kakas,langowan,poso,tondano, Sulawesi, Indonesia
- January 21, 2007, N, Molucca Islands, Indonesia
- April 1, 2026, North Maluku, North Sulawesi, Indonesia
- November 14, 2019, N, Molucca Islands, Indonesia
- November 18, 1857, Kema, Sulawesi Island, Indonesia
- December 17, 1859, Manado, Belang, Sulawesi, Indonesia
- September 11, 1930, Amurang Island, Indonesia
- December 13, 1858, N. Moluccas Islands, Indonesia
- August 10, 1968, Manado, Celebes, Molucca Islands, Indonesia
- March 8, 1989, Morotai, Tanawangu, Molucca Passage, Indonesia
- September 6, 1889, N. Moluccas Islands, Indonesia
- June 7, 2016, Ternate Island, Maluku, Indonesia
- June 28, 1859, N. Moluccas Islands, Indonesia
- July 29, 1859, Sulawesi, Indonesia
More
Significant earthquakes of 1857The 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 6127.