May 1, 1816 Tsunami: Malacca Strait, Indonesia
A tsunami caused by an earthquake began at Malacca Strait, Indonesia on May 1, 1816. 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 1, 1816
- Source
- Malacca Strait, Indonesia
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- The earthquake
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Tsunami intensity (Soloviev-Imamura)
- 0
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Questionable tsunami
- Source location
- 5.000° N, 96.500° 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.
Reference #414:
1816, April 29, about 2:40 [local time], 5 N, 96.5 E, tsunami intensity 0. On Penang Island and the Malacca Peninsula, there was a very strong shock especially in the northern and central parts of the island. The direction was northwest to southeast, the duration was 15-20 seconds. Pieces of stucco collapsed from the ceiling in the rooms of some homes. On the night of the 31st [one should probably read the 30th and during the next two nights, shocks were felt on board the brig "Helen." There was a rough sea together with the earthquakes. [It is difficult to say whether this concerns a seaquake or a tsunami.
Reference #1185:
1816, May 1. Penang. Very sharp passed to north-west chiefly confined to the northern and central parts of island, lasted 15 to 20 seconds, felt at sea.
Reference #4110:
1816, May 1. Penang. "Very smart", passed to north-west: chiefly confined to the northern and central parts of island; lasted 15 to 20 seconds; felt at sea also.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Penang Island | Malaysia | 428 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1816The 1800sTsunamis of IndonesiaThe 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 616.