May 21, 1792 Tsunami: North Sea, Netherlands
A tsunami of unknown cause began at North Sea, Netherlands on May 21, 1792. 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
- May 21, 1792
- Source
- North Sea, Netherlands
- Cause
- Unknown
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Very doubtful tsunami
- Source location
- 52.370° N, 4.530° 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.
1792, May 21. No shock mentioned. Zandvoort (52deg 22'N, 04deg 32'N). A sudden fluctuation of the sea noted. (reference #43)
1792, May 21. On the 21st of this month the sea rose at Sandvort in Holland higher than had ever been known before, and then sank suddenly again, the whole taking place in a few seconds. No shock mentioned. (reference #1879)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sandvort | Netherlands | 0 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1792The 1700sTsunamis of NetherlandsThis 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 567.