September 10, 1901 Tsunami: E. Luzon Island, Philippines
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7 earthquake began at E. Luzon Island, Philippines on September 10, 1901 at 00:30 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
- September 10, 1901, 00:30 UTC
- Source
- E. Luzon Island, Philippines
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- Magnitude 7
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Tsunami intensity (Soloviev-Imamura)
- 0
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Questionable tsunami
- Source location
- 14.000° N, 121.600° E
The toll
- Damage
- Moderate (about $1 to $5 million) with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
- Houses damaged
- Some (about 51 to 100) 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.
Reference #414:
1901, September 10 (or October), 8:30 [local time]. There was a strong earthquake in the eastern part of Tayabas Province, which was accompanied by an underground rumble. The church at Calauag was damaged and structures were damaged in the cities on the eastern shore of Lamon Bay, in the northeastern part of which the source was presumably located. Yawning cracks were formed on the coast, and the water became very turbid; dead fish were also found. The dimensions of the area of perceptibility were 300 x 180 km. The earthquake was preceded by a four degree foreshock at 7:40 with an area of perceptibility of 200 x 120 km and was accompanied by several weak aftershocks. [A possible cause of the water becoming turbid may be a tsunami; there are no direct indications of the appearance of waves.]
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calaug | Philippines | 74 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1901The 1900sTsunamis 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 1284.