May 5, 1902 Tsunami: Mount Pelee, Martinique
A tsunami caused by a volcano and a landslide began at Mount Pelee, Martinique on May 5, 1902. The water rose as high as 5 meters. Its effects were recorded at 1 place. It killed 23 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 5, 1902
- Source
- Mount Pelee, Martinique
- Cause
- Volcano and landslide
- Volcano
- The eruption that caused it
- Maximum water height
- 5 m (16.4 ft)
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Definite tsunami
- Source location
- 14.820° N, 61.170° W
The toll
- Deaths
- 23 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.
On May 5, 1902, the crater rim of Mont Pelee broke, and hot water cascaded down River Blanche, mixing with pyroclastic debris. The lahar that formed continued to the sea, generating a 3 to 4 meter tsunami that caused some panic in Sainte-Pierre, but the waters quickly became calm again (Reference #2687). 23 people were killed by the lahar at the Usine Guerin facory near the mouth of the River.
Reference #1918 indicates that 100 people were killed by the tsunami. "The lahar generated a tsunami which killed 100 people in St. Pierre." This number is not found in any other documents.
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 | 4 | 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 2881.