1840 Tsunami: Hawaii, United States
A tsunami caused by an earthquake began at Hawaii, United States in 1840. 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
- 1840
- Source
- Hawaii, United States
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Volcano
- The eruption that caused it
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Erroneous entry
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.
A brief account by Mark Twain in "Roughing It" published in 1872, describes a tsunami associated with an eruption of Kilauea and an earthquake on Hawaii. "The earthquake caused some loss of human life, and a prodigious tidal wave swept inland carrying everything before it and drowning a number of natives." Cox did not find any contemporary report of this and believes a tsunami did not occur with this eruption. (Ref #236)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii Island, HI, HI doubtful | United States | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1840The 1800sTsunamis of United StatesThe eruptionAlerts 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 714.