July 31, 1893 Tsunami: Port Vila, Efate Island, Vanuatu
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 6 earthquake began at Port Vila, Efate Island, Vanuatu on July 31, 1893. 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
- July 31, 1893
- Source
- Port Vila, Efate Island, Vanuatu
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- Magnitude 6
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Tsunami intensity (Soloviev-Imamura)
- 0
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Very doubtful tsunami
- Source location
- 17.750° S, 168.300° 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.
Reference #414:
1893, July 31, at 11:30 [local time], validity 1. There was strong, very rapid shock at Port Vila (Efate Island). The weather was bad, and it was raining with strong gusts of wind. There was a heavy swell at sea.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Port Vila, Efate Island | Vanuatu | 3 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1893The 1800sTsunamis of VanuatuThe 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 1206.