April 15, 1791 Tsunami: Kamchatka, Russia
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 6.8 earthquake began at Kamchatka, Russia on April 15, 1791. 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
- April 15, 1791
- Source
- Kamchatka, Russia
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- Magnitude 6.8, 20 km deep
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Very doubtful tsunami
- Source location
- 56.000° N, 163.000° E
The toll
The record gives no deaths, injuries or damage for this tsunami.
What the record says
NCEI’s account, from the sources it cites.
1791, April 15, 18h (April 14). Near Nizhne-Kamchatsk. Place of observation: Nizhne, Kamchatka. Ice in Raduga R. broken up by quake. Tsunami doubtful. Apr. 14 date in translation of Soloviev and Ferchev is misprint for Apr. 4. Julian equivalent of Apr. 15 Gregorian date. (reference #79)
1791, April 15, 18h. Source near Nizhne-Kamchatsk. (reference #2024)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nizhne | Russia | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1791The 1700sTsunamis of RussiaThe earthquakeThis day in weather historyAlerts 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 556.