December 24, 1852 Tsunami: Bandaneira, Indonesia
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7 earthquake began at Bandaneira, Indonesia on December 24, 1852. Its effects were recorded at 7 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
- December 24, 1852
- Source
- Bandaneira, Indonesia
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- Magnitude 7
- Runups recorded
- 7
- Tsunami intensity (Soloviev-Imamura)
- 2
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Very doubtful tsunami
- Source location
- 5.000° S, 130.500° E
The toll
- Deaths
- Few (about 1 to 50)
- Damage
- Limited (under about $1 million)
- Houses destroyed
- Some (about 51 to 100) 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.
1852, December 24, 14:30[local time]. At Bandaneira (?), there were two recurrent shocks of the earthquake of November 26. Several homes which had withstood the preceding earthquakes collapsed. Two spice plantations which had not been affected previously were reduced to complete disorder. A large number of proas in the roadstead and off the coast of Cera Island, and also floating villages off Gorong Island were inundated and smashed on shore with the inhabitants. There were victims. About 400 proas were wrecked. The effects were similar on the islands of Tioor, Ambon, Saparua and Haruku (at Hulaliu, Oma, Wassu) and also at the settlements of Ameth, Akon, and Laintu on Laot Island. (reference #414)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tioor Island | Indonesia | 139 | Eyewitness observation of water height | ||||
| Gorong Island | Indonesia | 149 | Eyewitness observation of water height | ||||
| Ceram (Seram) Island | Indonesia | 209 | Eyewitness observation of water height | ||||
| Laot (Laut) Island | Indonesia | 241 | Eyewitness observation of water height | ||||
| Saparua Island | Indonesia | 259 | Eyewitness observation of water height | ||||
| Haruku Island | Indonesia | 278 | Eyewitness observation of water height | ||||
| Ambon Island | Indonesia | 295 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1852The 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 804.