March 18, 1818 Tsunami: Bengkulu, Sumatra, Indonesia
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7 earthquake and a landslide began at Bengkulu, Sumatra, Indonesia on March 18, 1818. 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
- March 18, 1818
- Source
- Bengkulu, Sumatra, Indonesia
- Cause
- Earthquake and landslide
- Earthquake
- Magnitude 7
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Tsunami intensity (Soloviev-Imamura)
- 1.5
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Probable tsunami
- Source location
- 4.000° S, 101.500° E
The toll
- Damage
- Limited (under about $1 million)
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.
Reference #414:
1818, March 18, 4 S, 101.5 E, magnitude 7, tsunami intensity 1.5. There was an earthquake at Bengkulu. The ships "Northumberland" and "Sandbury" were shaken so strongly that the sailors were tossed from their berths. The tremors were felt by Raffles, who was onboard a ship 350 km (200 miles) from the coast of Sumatra. At Fort Malboro, a very strong shock occurred at night. One of the eyewitnesses who described the earthquake was thrown from his bed, and the wall of the home partly collapsed. At dawn, it was found that the sea had retreated far from shore and that all the ships riding in the roadstead had sat on the bottom. Soon thereafter the sea returned, surging in with great force and washing away everything in its path. The water advanced so far inland that a bridge was inundated. At Bengkulu, the shocks lasted at least until April 8, the postdate on the letter.
Reference #42:
1818, March 18, Sumatra, Bengkulu (3 deg 48 min S., 102 deg 15 min E.). Sea withdrew and returned with great force and overflowed the land.
Reference #4659:
3.5 S 100.5 E
Reference #2725 lists 18 March 1819, likely an error and meant to be 1818.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Malboro, Bengkulu, Sumatra | Indonesia | 89 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1818The 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 621.