1879 Tsunami: Off Coast Nantucket, Massachusetts, United States
A tsunami of unknown cause began at Off Coast Nantucket, Massachusetts, United States in 1879. 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
- 1879
- Source
- Off Coast Nantucket, Massachusetts, United States
- Cause
- Unknown
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Very doubtful tsunami
- Source location
- 41.280° N, 70.080° W
The toll
- Injuries
- 1
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.
Location is approximate. Unknown month and day. The New York Times (Reference #1744) published an account of a sailing party that traveled throught the channel between Nantucket and Tuckernuck Islands onto the ocean to the south. The men witnessed "a vast, huge wave stretching shore to shore approaching the vessel. This huge wave was topped by a white foaming crest which curled and threw off white froth, and yet did not curl over frontward." Lockridge et. al (Reference #541) surmised that an earthquake (41.3,-72.9) on Oct 24, and an aftershock (42.9,-71.9) Oct 26, may have disturbed sediments causing a landslide tsunami. This earthquake information is not verified as of 2006.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Off Coast Nantucket, MA, MA | United States | 0 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1879The 1800sTsunamis of United StatesAlerts 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 2450.