March 9, 1861 Tsunami: SW. Sumatra, Indonesia
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7 earthquake began at SW. Sumatra, Indonesia on March 9, 1861. Its effects were recorded at 4 places. It killed 950 people, counting the earthquake or eruption that caused it.
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
- March 9, 1861
- Source
- SW. Sumatra, Indonesia
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- Magnitude 7, 20 km deep
- Runups recorded
- 4
- Tsunami intensity (Soloviev-Imamura)
- 2
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Definite tsunami
- Source location
- 0.009° N, 98.000° E
The toll
- Deaths
- 950
- Damage
- Limited (under about $1 million); Severe (about $5 to $25 million) with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
- Houses destroyed
- 96
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.
1861, March (June) 9, 22:00 [local time]. Apparently the strongest aftershock of the earthquake of February 16 occurred. The earthquake was accompanied by a tsunami, which reached its greatest intensity on Simuk Island, that is, on the western tip of the archipelago. Before the catastrophe, there were 120 homes on this island in the villages and temporary settlements, and about 1000 people lived there. Ninety-six homes were destroyed by the earthquake and tsunami; about 3/4 of the population perished. The previous villages were left as waste strewn with stones or as piles of ruins.
The western and northwestern shore of Pulu Tello Island also suffered very heavily, while other areas of the coast of this island did not suffer damage.
The sea level oscillated considerably off the adjacent islands of Babanirege and Lakao where many residents also died.
According to the account of a surviving resident of Babanirege Island, an enormous wave covered the residents who were fleeing on foot and carried off 200 of the 280 people who used to live here. The others escaped to the jungles, counting on the vegetation for protection. Two waves collided near where they were hiding, wreaking enormous destruction. Colossal stone chunks were carried inland 30-60 m.
(above from reference #414)
1861, March 9. Sumatra, Padang. High wave swept inland with loss of life. (reference #132)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Simuk Island, Sumatra | Indonesia | 17 | 300 | Eyewitness observation of water height | 750 | ||
| Pulu Tello (Palau Telo), Sumatra | Indonesia | 30 | Eyewitness observation of water height | ||||
| Babanirege Island, Sumatra | Indonesia | 60 | Eyewitness observation of water height | 200 | |||
| Lakao Island, Sumatra | Indonesia | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1861The 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 907.