1500 Tsunami: Hawaii, United States
A tsunami of unknown cause began at Hawaii, United States in 1500. Its effects were recorded at 1 place.
Where the waves reached
The source (white) and every runup with a place, colored by the water height recorded there. A ring is a runup NCEI marks doubtful.
- Under 1 m
- 1 to 3 m
- 3 to 10 m
- 10 to 30 m
- 30 m and more
- Height not recorded
The tsunami
- Date
- 1500
- Source
- Hawaii, United States
- Cause
- Unknown
- Earthquake
- The earthquake
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Questionable tsunami
The toll
- Deaths
- Many (about 101 to 1,000)
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.
The date is 1500-1600. The earliest reference to a tsunami in Hawaii came from the following chant attributed to Huluamana and composed in the 16th century: "The sun shines brightly at Kalaeloa which sank into the sea. A huge wave came and killed its inhabitants scattering them and leaving only Papala'au; their cries are all about." It describes a tsunami like event on the west coast of Molokai.
Every runup
Nearest the source first. Heights are above sea level at the time; a tide gauge reads half the wave’s full height.
| Where | Country | Km from source | Water height, m | Inland, m | Measured by | First wave, UTC | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kalaeloa, Molokai, HI, HI | United States | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1500The 1500sTsunamis of United StatesThe earthquakeAlerts in force
Sources
Tsunami events and runups 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 tsunami event 147.