August 9, 1827 Tsunami: Kamchatka, Russia
A tsunami caused by a volcano and an earthquake began at Kamchatka, Russia on August 9, 1827. Its effects were recorded at 2 places.
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 9, 1827
- Source
- Kamchatka, Russia
- Cause
- Volcano and earthquake
- Earthquake
- The earthquake
- Volcano
- The eruption that caused it
- Runups recorded
- 2
- Tsunami intensity (Soloviev-Imamura)
- 1.5
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Probable tsunami
- Source location
- 53.000° N, 158.500° 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.
From July 27 to 29 [Aug 9 to 11 new style], 1827, there was a very intense eruption of the Avacha volcano.
In the accounts it is noted that the eruption began after several subterranean shocks on July 27 [Aug 9]. At 3 o'clock in the afternoon on the 28th [Aug 10] "unusually strong shocks were heard, like heavy thunder." "The earthquake was reported with no less force" on the 29th [Aug 11] at 8 o'clock in the morning, after which occurred the main explosion of the volcano.
Furthermore, "the fishermen affirmed that the sea ran far out in the bay; it is not stated whether this was on the 28th or the 29th [Aug 10 or Aug 11].
The material presented permits us to assume that at the time of the eruption of the Avancha volcano a strong tectonic earthquake occurred, apparently accompanied by a tsunami.
It is within the bounds of possibility that the earthquake of June at Avacha and that of July in the Komandorsky Islands were one and the same. Actually F.P. Lutke described the Komandorsky earthquake on the basis of material from the archives of the Russian-American Company and could easily have mistakenly indicated June in place of July.
(above from reference #413)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avacha Bay, Kamchatka | Russia | 3 | Eyewitness observation of water height | ||||
| Medny Island, Commander Islands | Russia | 628 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1827The 1800sTsunamis of RussiaThe earthquakeThe eruptionThis 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 663.