February 15, 1856 Tsunami: N. California, United States
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 5.5 earthquake and a landslide began at N. California, United States on February 15, 1856 at 13:25 UTC. The water rose as high as 0.6 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
- February 15, 1856, 13:25 UTC
- Source
- N. California, United States
- Cause
- Earthquake and landslide
- Earthquake
- Magnitude 5.5
- Maximum water height
- 0.6 m (2.0 ft)
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Tsunami intensity (Soloviev-Imamura)
- -1
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Probable tsunami
- Source location
- 37.500° N, 122.300° W
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.
A magnitude 5.5 earthquake disturbed San Francisco bay, alarming seamen aboard their vessels. The water was also reported to have become exceedingly thick, caused by the throwing up of mud and sand at the bottom of the bay. No marigram record of the event exists, however, the instruments were relatively insensitive to short period disturbances. There was no sign of the tide gauge shaking from the earthquake either. Possible local submarine landslide source.
At San Francisco, the strongest (since 1848) earthquake occurred lasting 10 seconds (8 degrees). The water in San Francisco Bay rose, kept a high level for five minutes, and then dropped 1/2 m (2 feet) below the usual level (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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco, CA, CA | United States | 37 | 0.6 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1856The 1800sTsunamis of United StatesThe 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 856.