November 24, 1881 Earthquake: Tonga Islands
An earthquake struck Tonga Islands on November 24, 1881. 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 24, 1881
- Place
- Tonga Islands
- Intensity
- 8 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- Yes: the tsunami it caused
- Country
- Tonga
The toll
The record gives no deaths, injuries or damage for this earthquake.
What the record says
NCEI’s account, from the sources it cites.
1881, November 24. There was a strong earthquake on the islands of Tonga and Samoa, one that was felt even on ships in the harbour. On the island of Tongatapu, about 7 1/2 km (4 miles) from Nukualofa, this quake caused a large plain to subside to the point where it was transformed into a deep valley. [Although there is no direct evidence of a tsunami having occurred there, the possibility cannot be excluded] (Reference #415).
More
Significant earthquakes of 1881The 1800sThis 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 10009.