1721 Tsunami: Tainan, Taiwan
A tsunami caused by an earthquake began at Tainan, Taiwan in 1721. Its effects were recorded at 1 place. It killed 2,000 people.
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
- 1721
- Source
- Tainan, Taiwan
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- The earthquake
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Very doubtful tsunami
- Source location
- 23.000° N, 120.200° E
The toll
- Deaths
- 2,000
- Damage
- Extreme (about $25 million or more)
- Houses destroyed
- Very many (over 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.
1721. An unusual wind and rainstorm struck Taiwan Fu (the present-day Tainan City), waves surged high, causing the ships in port to collide with and damage each other, the ground also shook violently. The city was almost leveled to the ground. Thousands of people were crushed drowned to death. The disaster may have been due to a wind storm. (reference #3939, Appendix III, p. 837)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tainan | Taiwan | 4 | Eyewitness observation of water height | 2,000 |
More
Every tsunami in 1721The 1700sTsunamis of TaiwanThe 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 3581.