April 30, 1919 Earthquake: Tonga Islands

Name: April 30, 1919 Earthquake: Tonga Islands
Start: 1919-04-30
Location: Tonga Islands

April 30, 1919 · M8.1

A magnitude 8.1 earthquake struck Tonga Islands on April 30, 1919 at 07:17:17 UTC, 25 km below the surface. 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: April 30, 1919
Time: 07:17:17 UTC
Place: Tonga Islands
Magnitude: 8.1 (Mw)
Focal depth: 25 km (16 mi)
Tsunami: Yes: the tsunami it caused
Epicenter: 18.352° S, 172.515° W
Country: Tonga

The toll

Damage: Limited (under about $1 million)

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.

1919, April 30 (erroneously the 9th). [30.IV; 7h17m05s; 19S., 172.5W; M=8.3 G&R]. On the Ha'apai Islands there was an earthquake lasting 2 1/2 minutes; on the island of Tongatapu there was a weak earthquake of 50 seconds duration. On the islands closest to the epicenter, the quake resulted in many cave-ins, particularly in areas with loose, filled ground, and on the Samoan Islands the quake caused landslides and cave-ins. The earthquake generated a tsunami. (reference #415)

1919, April 30, 07:17:12.5 UTC. 19.823 S, 172.215 W, depth 35 km, 8.2 Mw P&S, 8.2 Ms, ABE1, 8 Ms P&S, 7.7 mB ABE1, 8.4 UK B&D. (reference #9910)

1919, April 30, 07:17:17.28 UTC. 18.352 S, 172.515 W, depth 25 km, 8.1 Mw. (reference #10476)

Other significant earthquakes nearby

Within 200 km, the deadliest first.

Significant earthquakes of 1919 The 1900s Every quake the USGS located in 1919 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 3136.