January 28, 1862 Tsunami: Hawaii, United States
A tsunami of meteorological origin began at Hawaii, United States on January 28, 1862. 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
- January 28, 1862
- Source
- Hawaii, United States
- Cause
- Meteorological
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Tsunami intensity (Soloviev-Imamura)
- 1
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Questionable tsunami
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.
A slight and unexplained rise in the level of the sea occurred in the area of Waialua, Molokai Island. Fish ponds were flooded and devastated. On the night of the 29th, an earthquake was felt for more than 5 seconds on the Hawaiian Islands (Soloviev and Go, 1975, p. 231). There were reports of storms with hail, gale winds, and waterspouts at this time, and the effects on Molokai are probably due to meteorological causes. (Reference #236)
At Waialua village (Molokai Island) and its vicinity, there was a strange phenomenon. The sea rose slightly. The fish ponds were flooded and devastated. On the night of the 29th, an earthquake lasting more than 5 seconds was felt on the Hawaiian Islands (Reference #415).
On Tuesday, the 28th of January, at Waialua, Molokai, exceptionally rough seas were seen, and there was much damage. The fish ponds from Moanui until Puako were smashed by the sea. The road at Honouliwai was dashed, and horses cannot travel there. On the night of the 29th, there was a great earthquake, and the earth shook for eleven seconds. This is what was written in by M. Timoteo. (Reference #13080)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waialua, Molokai, HI, HI | United States | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1862The 1800sTsunamis of United StatesThis 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 919.