December 14, 1885 Tsunami: Banda Aceh, Indonesia
A tsunami caused by an earthquake began at Banda Aceh, Indonesia on December 14, 1885. 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
- December 14, 1885
- Source
- Banda Aceh, Indonesia
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- The earthquake
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Very doubtful tsunami
- Source location
- 5.550° N, 95.300° 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.
1885, December 14, 21:11. There was a short earthquake of magnitude 4-6 degrees (V-VI1 Rossi-Forel) at Banda Atjeh; there were many aftershocks. On the same day, and also on the 15th, 16th, 17th and 19th, the water in the river was high; on the 21st, the water level fell below usual. (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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Banda Aceh (Atjeh Island), Sumatra | Indonesia | 0 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1885The 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 1160.