November 23, 1889 Tsunami: Java, Indonesia
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 6 earthquake began at Java, Indonesia on November 23, 1889. 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
- November 23, 1889
- Source
- Java, Indonesia
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- Magnitude 6
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Tsunami intensity (Soloviev-Imamura)
- 1
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Questionable tsunami
- Source location
- 7.000° S, 113.500° 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.
1889, November 23, in the evening. There was an earthquake on Madura Island, at the coastal settlement of Gersikputic. Then an unusually high sea level was observed. The dikes of the ponds were breached, and the fish being bred there were washed away. On the 25th, the sea level was again normal. (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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gersikputic, Madura Is., Java | Indonesia | 50 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1889The 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 1184.