January 16, 1840 Tsunami: S. California, United States
A tsunami of meteorological origin began at S. California, United States on January 16, 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
- January 16, 1840
- Source
- S. California, United States
- Cause
- Meteorological
- 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.
Report of much damage by the sea between Jan 16 - 17th. Roofing materials carried 550 feet offshore, church tower collapsed the next day. Most likely a storm event. (Reference #237)
There is mistaken data in many catalogues about an earthquake and tsunami at Santa Cruz. In fact, there were heavy waves at sea at Santa Cruz on January 16 and 17. (Reference #415)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Cruz, CA, CA | United States | 170 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1840The 1800sTsunamis of United StatesThis 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 716.