August 31, 1819 Tsunami: Luroy, Rana Region, Norway
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 5.8 earthquake began at Luroy, Rana Region, Norway on August 31, 1819. 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
- August 31, 1819
- Source
- Luroy, Rana Region, Norway
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- Magnitude 5.8
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Probable tsunami
- Source location
- 66.416° N, 12.850° E
The toll
- Damage
- Limited (under about $1 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.
14:15 local time, referred to as the Luroy 1819 earthquake. This is considered to be the largest known historical earthquake in Fennoscandia. The earthquake was felt "throughout a large district in Norway. Especially at Salten and Helgeland in the province of Nordland" (Reference #1879).
The one large earthquake was followed by several smaller earthquakes (Reference #3957). Reference #1879 says that "the shocks lasted six minutes and were followed by other slight ones at 5 and 7:05 p.m."
Landslides and rock slides occurred, and sediments filled up the bays. It is likely that landslides above or below the water caused the agitation of water that was reported. (Reference #3957)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rana | Norway | 67 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1819The 1800sTsunamis of NorwayThe 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 630.