May 8, 1902 Tsunami: Mount Pelee, Martinique
A tsunami caused by a volcano began at Mount Pelee, Martinique on May 8, 1902 at 12:06 UTC. The water rose as high as 2 meters. Its effects were recorded at 1 place. It killed 28,000 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
- May 8, 1902, 12:06 UTC
- Source
- Mount Pelee, Martinique
- Cause
- Volcano
- Volcano
- The eruption that caused it
- Maximum water height
- 2 m (6.6 ft)
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Questionable tsunami
- Source location
- 14.820° N, 61.170° W
The toll
- Deaths
- 28,000 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.
Eruption of Mount Pelee, which sent a nuee ardente into St. Pierre that destroyed the area in a few minutes.
May 8 08:02 (local time), validity 2. (reference #13721)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saint Pierre | Martinique | 9 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1902The 1900sTsunamis of MartiniqueThe eruptionThis 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 1288.