May 19, 1887 Tsunami: Sigli, Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia
A tsunami caused by an earthquake began at Sigli, Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia on May 19, 1887. 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
- May 19, 1887
- Source
- Sigli, Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- The earthquake
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Very doubtful tsunami
- Source location
- 5.400° N, 96.000° 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.
1887, May 19, 4:34 [local time]. At Sigli (Atjeh Province), there was a rather strong horizontal shock lasting 3 seconds. It was preceded by a clearly audible noise of sea surf. [Apparently this refers to ordinary underground rumbles). (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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sigli, Aceh, Sumatra | Indonesia | 4 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1887The 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 1163.