August 27, 1893 Tsunami: Port Vila, Efate Island, Vanuatu
A tsunami of unknown cause began at Port Vila, Efate Island, Vanuatu on August 27, 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
- August 27, 1893
- Source
- Port Vila, Efate Island, Vanuatu
- Cause
- Unknown
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Tsunami intensity (Soloviev-Imamura)
- 0
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Questionable 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, August 27, validity 2. A wave crossed Port Vila Bay (Efate Island). It reached the shops and the cafe of the French merchant company. Immediately after, there was a prolonged tremor of slight intensity, which seemed to come from the north. [A possible explanation is seiches from a distant strong earthquake.]
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 VanuatuThis 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 1207.