1890 Tsunami: Kosrae Islands, Caroline Islands, Micronesia
A tsunami of unknown cause began at Kosrae Islands, Caroline Islands, Micronesia in 1890. 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
- 1890
- Source
- Kosrae Islands, Caroline Islands, Micronesia
- Cause
- Unknown
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Questionable tsunami
- Source location
- 5.145° N, 162.850° E
The toll
- Deaths
- Many (about 101 to 1,000)
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.
Also, a "tidal wave, killing many" is reported by W. Wilson (unpublished manuscript, 1967) on Kosrae in 1890. Since catalogs of tsunamis and earthquakes do not contain any possible source for this wave (such as a large earthquake in the Pacific or a Pacific-wide tsunami), it is possible that this was also a locally generated wave. (reference #14397)
1890. Tidal wave, killing many. Almost as bad as the hurricane [sic] of 1890. (reference #14398)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kosrae Island, Caroline Islands | Micronesia | 24 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1890The 1800sTsunamis of MicronesiaAlerts 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 6177.