June 12, 1897 Tsunami: Assam, India
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 8 earthquake began at Assam, India on June 12, 1897 at 11:06:46 UTC. The water rose as high as 3 meters. Its effects were recorded at 1 place. It killed 1,542 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
The tsunami
- Date
- June 12, 1897, 11:06:46 UTC
- Source
- Assam, India
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- Magnitude 8, 33 km deep
- Maximum water height
- 3 m (9.8 ft)
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Waters
- A lake or river, not the ocean
- How certain
- Probable tsunami
- Source location
- 26.000° N, 90.700° E
The toll
- Deaths
- 1,542 with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
- Damage
- Limited (under about $1 million); Extreme (about $25 million or more) with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
- Houses destroyed
- Very many (over 1,000) with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
- Houses damaged
- Very many (over 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.
The great Assam Earthquake of 1897 (8 < M <- 8.1) is the largest known Indian intraplate earthquake. It raised the northern edge of the Shillong Plateau by more than 10m, resulting in the destruction of structures over much of the plateau and surrounding areas and causing widespread liquefaction and flooding in the Brahmaputra and Sylhet Floodplains. (reference #9408)
Following the earthquake a great tidal wave swept up the Brahmapootra River, reaching to as far as Goalpara, over 250 miles from the sea. (reference #8735, 11454)
Typo from reference #96: Tsunami listed out of chronological order (between events in 1886 and 1906) on June 12, 1978 (should be June 12, 1897) at 27 N 91 E from a magnitude 8.7 earthquake that generated a tsunami in the tributaries of the Brahamputra and Ganges Rivers, killing 1542 people. This event is describing the June 12, 1897 Assam India earthquake and liquefaction in the Brahmaputra floodplain. (reference #96)
At Goalpara, a 10-foot wave from the Brahmaputra (possible subsidence), swept into the area, destroying the bazaar and many pukka buildings. Ground waves were reported from Nalbari, where an observer saw rice fields rise and fall as the waves passed under them. At Guwahati, the earth subsided along the Brahmaputra and several sand vents were formed. The Brahmaputra is also reported to have risen by 7.6 metres and even reversed its flow during the shock. (reference #13782)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goalpara | India | 20 | 3 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1897The 1800sTsunamis of IndiaThe 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 5262.