September 25, 1861 Earthquake: SW. Sumatra, Indonesia
A magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck SW. Sumatra, Indonesia on September 25, 1861. 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 25, 1861
- Place
- SW. Sumatra, Indonesia
- Magnitude
- 6.5 (Ms)
- Tsunami
- Yes: the tsunami it caused
- Epicenter
- 1.500° S, 100.000° E
- Country
- Indonesia
The toll
- Damage
- Limited (under about $1 million) with its tsunami and other effects
- Houses destroyed
- Few (about 1 to 50) 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.
1861, September 25, 13:30 (local time), 1.5 S, 100 E, magnitude 6.5. At Padang and Pariaman, there was a strong undulating earthquake. It was also felt on the plateau at Solok, Lolo and at Fort de Kok for several seconds. At Indrapura, the earthquake was a accompanied by a tsunami. The sea was rough, and the water rose so high that it did damage on the coast. Several boats and huts were washed off. A second branch formed at the mouth of the river. (reference #414)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- September 30, 2009, Padang, Sumatra, Indonesia
- October 6, 1995, Sumatera, Jambi Province, Indonesia
- March 6, 2007, Southern, Sumatra, Indonesia
- February 25, 2022, Pasaman, West Pasaman, W Sumatra, Indonesia
- February 16, 2004, Padangpanjang, Sumatra, Indonesia
- June 1, 2016, Pesisir Selatan, Sumatra, Indonesia
- July 21, 2018, Solok, Sumatra, Indonesia
- April 10, 2005, Padang, Indonesia
- February 22, 2004, Pesisir Selatan, Sumatra, Indonesia
- February 6, 1908, SW. Sumatra, Indonesia
- August 16, 2009, Padang, Sumatra, Indonesia
- April 9, 2004, Padang, Sumatra, Indonesia
- April 10, 1922, SW. Sumatra, Indonesia
- February 25, 2008, Padang, Sumatra, Indonesia
- June 3, 1909, Kerintji, Redjanglebong, SW Sumatra, Indonesia
More
Significant earthquakes of 1861The 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 6145.