May 13, 1897 Tsunami: Samar Sea, Philippines
A tsunami caused by an earthquake began at Samar Sea, Philippines on May 13, 1897 at 11:22 UTC. 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 13, 1897, 11:22 UTC
- Source
- Samar Sea, Philippines
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- The earthquake
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Very doubtful tsunami
- Source location
- 12.000° N, 124.000° 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.
Foreman (1906) mentioned about a wave that invaded a great portion of Tacloban in 1897 but no specific date was mentioned. However, a newspaper published in 1898 January reported a typhoon on 1897 October that affected Leyte, specifically mentioning Tacloban. This tsunami is not found in the Iida (1967) catalog. Repetti (1946) also failed to mention any unusual sea wave. Due to uncertainty in dates, accounts and distance from epicenter, and attributing Foreman (1906) to the newspaper report (1898) on typhoon, tsunami is assessed as “doubtful”. (reference #10958)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tacloban | Philippines | 137 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1897The 1800sTsunamis of PhilippinesThe 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 6009.