1855 Tsunami: Sichuan Province, China
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 4.8 earthquake began at Sichuan Province, China in 1855. The water rose as high as 3 meters. 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
- 1855
- Source
- Sichuan Province, China
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- Magnitude 4.8
- Maximum water height
- 3 m (9.8 ft)
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Waters
- A lake or river, not the ocean
- How certain
- Very doubtful tsunami
- Source location
- 29.200° N, 108.100° 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.
1855, Autumn, Pengshui, Sichuan Province, 29.2 N, 108.1 E. River water surged up to a height of over 3 m. (reference #3939)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pengshui, Sichuan Province | China | 6 | 3 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1855The 1800sTsunamis of ChinaThe earthquakeAlerts 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 3567.