January 25, 1917 Earthquake: Off Coast, Fujian Province, China

Name: January 25, 1917 Earthquake: Off Coast, Fujian Province, China
Start: 1917-01-25
Location: Off Coast, Fujian Province, China

January 25, 1917 · M6.5

A magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck Off Coast, Fujian Province, China on January 25, 1917. 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: January 25, 1917
Place: Off Coast, Fujian Province, China
Magnitude: 6.5 (Ms)
Tsunami: Yes: the tsunami it caused
Epicenter: 24.470° N, 118.080° E
Country: China

The toll

Damage: Limited (under about $1 million) 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.

Reference #414:

1917, January 25. Validity possible. There was a strong earthquake (24.5 N, 118 E) in China on the coast of Taiwan Strait. In the Tungan region of the province of Fukien, there was an unusual ebb tide, followed by a flood tide. Many fishing boats were damaged (according to the chronicle of the Tong'an region).

Reference #150:

1917, January 25. 24.5 N, 119.5 E, magnitude 6.5, tsunami event validity 4. Near Anioy, Tungan earthquake and sea water retreated, then backed again. Many fishing boats wrecked.

Reference #79

1917, January 25. Tsunami source near Amoy, Taiwan Straits. Tsunami observation China, Fukien, Tungan. Waters following earthquake sink many fishing boats.

Reference #40:

1917, January 25. China. Tsunami reported from T'ung-an (24o44'N., 118o09'E.), Fu-chien Province (26o00'N., 118o00'E.), (Keimatsu 1963).

Other significant earthquakes nearby

Within 200 km, the deadliest first.

Significant earthquakes of 1917 The 1900s Every quake the USGS located in 1917 Recent earthquakes near here This 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 6267.