Tsunamis in 1893

June 21, 1893 Tsunami: Agusan River, Philippines

June 21, 1893 · An event that only caused a seiche

A tsunami caused by an earthquake began at Agusan River, Philippines on June 21, 1893 at 06:50 UTC. 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

Tsunami warnings in force

The tsunami

Date
June 21, 1893, 06:50 UTC
Source
Agusan River, Philippines
Cause
Earthquake
Earthquake
The earthquake
Runups recorded
1
Waters
A lake or river, not the ocean
How certain
An event that only caused a seiche
Source location
6.900° N, 125.800° E

The toll

Damage
Moderate (about $1 to $5 million) with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
Houses destroyed
Many (101 to 1,000) with the earthquake or eruption that caused it

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.

1893, June 21. Talacogon - ...land sank along the river bank; waves in the river like a squally sea... (reference #1187)

Every runup

Nearest the source first. Heights are above sea level at the time; a tide gauge reads half the wave’s full height.

WhereCountryKm from sourceWater height, mInland, mMeasured byFirst wave, UTCDeaths
TalacogonPhilippines231Other

More

Every tsunami in 1893The 1800sTsunamis of PhilippinesThe 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 4314.