1814 Tsunami: Timor Island, Indonesia
A tsunami caused by an earthquake began at Timor Island, Indonesia in 1814. 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
- 1814
- Source
- Timor Island, Indonesia
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- The earthquake
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Tsunami intensity (Soloviev-Imamura)
- 0
- Tsunami magnitude (Iida)
- 1
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Questionable tsunami
- Source location
- 10.217° S, 123.633° E
The toll
- Damage
- Severe (about $5 to $25 million) 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.
1814, no date. At Kupang (Timor Island), there was an earthquake which immediately generated a tidal wave, which burst into Kupang Ray. There was also an eruption of a mud volcano, as a result of which the Pulu Burung Bank off the north shore of the bay turned into a small island. A destructive earthquake apparently occurred simultaneously on Kissar Island. (reference #414)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kupang Bay, Timor Island | Indonesia | 9 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1814The 1800sTsunamis of IndonesiaThe 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 611.