August 30, 1902 Tsunami: Mount Pelee, Martinique
A tsunami caused by a volcano began at Mount Pelee, Martinique on August 30, 1902 at 12:49 UTC. The water rose as high as 3 meters. Its effects were recorded at 3 places. It killed 1,500 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
- August 30, 1902, 12:49 UTC
- Source
- Mount Pelee, Martinique
- Cause
- Volcano
- Volcano
- The eruption that caused it
- Maximum water height
- 3 m (9.8 ft)
- Runups recorded
- 3
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Definite tsunami
- Source location
- 14.820° N, 61.170° W
The toll
- Deaths
- 1,500 with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
- Damage
- Limited (under about $1 million); Moderate (about $1 to $5 million) with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
- Houses destroyed
- 1; Few (about 1 to 50) 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.
9:25 pm local time, the sea retreated, after an eruption of Mount Pelee about 9 pm. This was followed by a "more rapid rise (about one metre), which covered the quais and came to the border of the savane."
30 Aug 1902. 8h 45m (local time). Max water height 3 m. (reference #13721)
8h 45am the eruption took place (reference #13722)
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 | 3 | Eyewitness observation of water height | |||
| Le Carbet | Martinique | 12 | 100 | Eyewitness observation of water height | |||
| Fort-De-France | Martinique | 26 | 1 | 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 1291.