November 28, 1894 Tsunami: Puyallup River Delta, Tacoma, WA, United States
A tsunami caused by a landslide began at Puyallup River Delta, Tacoma, WA, United States on November 28, 1894. The water rose as high as 3 meters. Its effects were recorded at 1 place. It killed 2 people, counting the earthquake or eruption that caused it.
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
Travel times
How long the first wave took to reach each part of the ocean, one line for each hour up to 24, estimated from the source and the depth of the sea.
The travel times are computed in your browser, which needs JavaScript.
- 1 to 4 hours
- 5 to 6 hours
- 7 to 14 hours
- 15 hours and more
Computed in your browser the way NOAA’s own travel time maps are: the wave travels at the square root of gravity times the depth, over NOAA’s ETOPO1 depths averaged to a 10 arc-minute grid. Checked against NOAA NCEI’s maps for 21 tsunamis over the first 24 hours, these lines fall within 10 minutes of NCEI’s at half the points compared and within 52 minutes at 9 in 10. They give when the first wave could arrive, not how high it is; bays, harbors and island chains finer than the grid can see it later. Not for use in a warning: see tsunami.gov.
The tsunami
- Date
- November 28, 1894
- Source
- Puyallup River Delta, Tacoma, WA, United States
- Cause
- Landslide
- Maximum water height
- 3 m (9.8 ft)
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Probable tsunami
- Source location
- 47.286° N, 122.445° W
The toll
- Deaths
- 2
- Damage
- Limited (under about $1 million)
- Houses destroyed
- Few (about 1 to 50) 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.
In 1894 a large submarine landslide occurred on the Puyallup River delta in Commencement Bay, resulting in two deaths and the destruction of the Northern Pacific freight docks and other port facilities. It also destroyed 300 feet of the North Pacific docks and created at least a ten foot wave in the Old Town section of Tacoma. It washed over homes on the tide flats and resulted in one fatality. (reference #2678)
Another life in addition to that of Watchman Hansen is probably lost. Included in the several small buildings carried away was the house of H.H. Alger, in which he and his family were asleep. It was turned completely over and dumped into the bay. All of the family were rescued with the exception of Emma Stubbs, Mr. Alger's fifteen year old stepdaughter. Careful search in the great mass of wreckage last night failed to find her body. She is certainly drowned[...]When the pump house went down Night Watchman John Hansen was in it. He has not since been seen[...]Policeman Harry Keene was talking to him shortly before the accident and is positive that Hansen did not leave the pump house but was there when it went under. (reference 4005)
A man, a young girl and $20,000 worth of property were lost[...]About two acres of land fell into the water and caused a wave variously estimated from 10 to 20 feet to ride down the Sound like a whirlwind. (reference #12366)
a tsunami that caused the loss of railway track, roadway, and several buildings and led to two deaths (reference #12367)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tacoma, WA, WA | United States | 4 | 3 | Eyewitness observation of water height | 2 |
More
Every tsunami in 1894The 1800sTsunamis of United StatesThis 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 3036.