November 18, 1857 Tsunami: Kema, Sulawesi I, N. Moluccas Is, Indonesia
A tsunami caused by an earthquake began at Kema, Sulawesi I, N. Moluccas Is, Indonesia on November 18, 1857. 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
- November 18, 1857
- Source
- Kema, Sulawesi I, N. Moluccas Is, Indonesia
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- The earthquake
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Tsunami intensity (Soloviev-Imamura)
- 0
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Questionable tsunami
- Source location
- 1.350° N, 125.200° E
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.
1857, November 18, 6:00 and 9:00. There were more underground
shocks at Manado and Kema. Strong movements of the water continued at Kema. (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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kema, Sulawesi Island | Indonesia | 14 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1857The 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 873.