May 22, 1896 Tsunami: Carnarvon Bay, Tasmania, Australia
A tsunami of unknown cause began at Carnarvon Bay, Tasmania, Australia on May 22, 1896. The water rose as high as 2.4 meters. 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
- May 22, 1896
- Source
- Carnarvon Bay, Tasmania, Australia
- Cause
- Unknown
- Maximum water height
- 2.4 m (7.9 ft)
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Questionable tsunami
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.
On Friday evening, 22nd inst., about 9.30 o'clock, a tidal wave suddenly rushed into the harbour, and with great force broke on the beach with a crest nearly 8ft. high. One or two boats were carried on to the rocks, etc., but received little injury. The water receded rapidly, but the agitation continued for some time, then gradually subsided; leading to the conclusion that some submarine disturbance was the cause of the phenomenon. Weather cloudy but calm at the time. (reference #14316)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Long Bay (Port Arthur), Tasmania | Australia | 2.4 | Eyewitness observation of water height | day 22, 11:30 |
More
Every tsunami in 1896The 1800sTsunamis of AustraliaThis 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 6146.