May 23, 1915 Tsunami: Kaimana, Indonesia
A tsunami caused by an earthquake began at Kaimana, Indonesia on May 23, 1915. The water rose as high as 0.5 meters. 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
- May 23, 1915
- Source
- Kaimana, Indonesia
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- The earthquake
- Maximum water height
- 0.5 m (1.6 ft)
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Tsunami intensity (Soloviev-Imamura)
- 0
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Very doubtful tsunami
- Source location
- 3.644° S, 133.695° E
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.
May 23,1915, 5:50 [local time]. At Kaimana (New Guinea), a shock lasting 2-3 seconds was felt. Then another three strong shocks were felt. Buildings swayed heavily. At night on the 22nd-23rd of May, there was a strong thunderstorm and a downpour. The level of the sea rose 1/2 m above the level of the spring high tides. (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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kaimana | Indonesia | 0 | 0.5 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1915The 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 1423.