May 1, 1917 Tsunami: Kermadec Islands, New Zealand
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 8 earthquake began at Kermadec Islands, New Zealand on May 1, 1917 at 18:27 UTC. The water rose as high as 0.3 meters. Its effects were recorded at 6 places in at least 3 countries.
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 1, 1917, 18:27 UTC
- Source
- Kermadec Islands, New Zealand
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- Magnitude 8, 60 km deep
- Maximum water height
- 0.3 m (1.0 ft)
- Runups recorded
- 6
- Tsunami intensity (Soloviev-Imamura)
- 3
- Tsunami magnitude (Iida)
- 3.6
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Definite tsunami
- Source location
- 29.200° S, 177.000° W
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.
Reference #132 reported a 40 foot wave at Samoa. References #79 and #415 express doubt about the height of the tsunami at Samoa.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Honolulu, Oahu, HI, HI | United States | 5,954 | 0.3 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 2, 02:21 | ||
| San Diego, CA, CA | United States | 9,317 | 0.1 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 2, 07:00 | ||
| La Jolla, CA, CA | United States | 9,322 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | ||||
| San Francisco, CA, CA | United States | 9,341 | 0.1 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 2, 07:04 | ||
| Tofino (Clayoquot),british Columbia, BC | Canada | 10,048 | 0.06 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 2, 08:24 | ||
| Apia, Upolu Island doubtful | Samoa | 12.2 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1917The 1900sTsunamis of New ZealandThe 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 1444.