April 14, 1855 Tsunami: Flores Island, Indonesia
A tsunami of unknown cause began at Flores Island, Indonesia on April 14, 1855. 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
- April 14, 1855
- Source
- Flores Island, Indonesia
- Cause
- Unknown
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Tsunami intensity (Soloviev-Imamura)
- 1
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Probable tsunami
- Source location
- 9.000° S, 121.000° E
The toll
- Damage
- Limited (under about $1 million)
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.
1855, April 14, 21:OO [local time]. A tidal wave arose in still weather at Nangaramo, Mangarai District, on the southwestern shore of Flores Island. The impact of the flood tide was so strong, that a schooner riding in the bay sprang a leak. In the second ebb tide, the schooner snapped its anchor chain and the vessel ran aground in the shallows, where it was smashed by subsequent waves. (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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nagaramo, Mangarai | Indonesia | 25 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1855The 1800sTsunamis of IndonesiaThis 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 845.