November 17, 1903 Tsunami: Hawaii, United States
A tsunami of meteorological origin began at Hawaii, United States on November 17, 1903. 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
- November 17, 1903
- Source
- Hawaii, United States
- Cause
- Meteorological
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Very doubtful tsunami
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.
1903, November 17. At Punaluu waves suddenly appeared on the previously quiet surface and lasted 10 minutes. Their origin could not be fully explained. However, at the same time (by other accounts, later in the day) a black smoke column of unusual size appeared above the Manua Loa volcano. Cox (1984, p. 44) considers the waves almost certainly to be of meteorological origin related to tremendous swells encountered by ships to the northwest. Reports of a similar disturbance on November 24 clearly refer to the November 17 event. (Reference #236)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Punaluu, Hawaii, HI, HI | United States | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1903The 1900sTsunamis of United StatesThis 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 1304.