December 18, 1910 Tsunami: Sulawesi, Indonesia
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 6.7 earthquake began at Sulawesi, Indonesia on December 18, 1910 at 02:42 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
- December 18, 1910, 02:42 UTC
- Source
- Sulawesi, Indonesia
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- Magnitude 6.7
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Tsunami intensity (Soloviev-Imamura)
- -1
- Tsunami magnitude (Iida)
- -1.3
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Questionable tsunami
- Source location
- 4.000° N, 127.000° E
The toll
- Damage
- Limited (under about $1 million) with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
- Houses damaged
- 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.
1910, December 18, about 0:00 [local time], 02:42 UTC, 4 N, 127 E, 6.7 MS. At Lirung, Talaud Islands, there was a rather strong vibration of the ground for 3-4 seconds; some people felt less strong but prolonged tremors also on the 12th, the 15th, the 16th and the 18th. Some residents of Moranga which is situated at one hour's walk from Lirung, thought that the level of the sea fell somewhat. (reference #414)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moranga | Indonesia | 36 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1910The 1900sTsunamis of IndonesiaThe 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 1390.