June 13, 1872 Tsunami: Lake Ontario, United States
A tsunami of unknown cause began at Lake Ontario, United States on June 13, 1872. 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
- June 13, 1872
- Source
- Lake Ontario, United States
- Cause
- Unknown
- Maximum water height
- 0.6 m (2.0 ft)
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Very doubtful tsunami
- Source location
- 43.500° N, 78.000° W
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.
Oswego witnessed a remarkable phenomenon on Thursday. At 2pm the water in the lake and river rose two feet, remaining at that elevation sixty-four minutes. From that time until 7 o'clock the water alternately rose and fell. A submarine earthquake is expected. (reference #12063)
A phenomenon of the most unusual kind occurred on Lake Ontario June 13, between 3:30 and 5 o'clock. There was but little wind, and that from the southeast, and the surface of the lake was quite smooth. The water would rise with great rapidity by successive little swells for 15 or 20 minutes, remain stationary for a short time, then fall with the same rapid, silent, imperceptible manner. This occurred five or six times, and then remained stationary at the lowest ebb until a gale in the afternoon came up, after which it found its normal condition. (reference #12062)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Ontario, NY, NY | United States | 0 | 0.6 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1872The 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 5677.