February 7, 1812 Tsunami: New Madrid, MO, United States
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 8.8 earthquake began at New Madrid, MO, United States on February 7, 1812 at 09:45 UTC. 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
- February 7, 1812, 09:45 UTC
- Source
- New Madrid, MO, United States
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- Magnitude 8.8
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Waters
- A lake or river, not the ocean
- How certain
- Questionable tsunami
- Source location
- 36.500° N, 89.600° W
The toll
- Injuries
- 1
- Damage
- Moderate (about $1 to $5 million); Severe (about $5 to $25 million) with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
- Houses damaged
- Many (101 to 1,000) with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
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.
More than 200 moderate to large earthquakes occurred on the New Madrid fault between Dec 16, 1811 and Mar 15, 1812. The New Madrid earthquakes generated several waves in the rivers, raised water levels, agitated waters, and affected navigation.
Reference #541 lists as validity 3 for all events listed from this region and time period (i.e., 16 Dec 1811; 16 Jan 1812; 07 Feb 1812).
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi River, MO, MO | United States | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1812The 1800sTsunamis of United StatesThe 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 2445.