May 6, 1917 Tsunami: Taiwan
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 5.8 earthquake began at Taiwan on May 6, 1917 at 12:19 UTC. 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 6, 1917, 12:19 UTC
- Source
- Taiwan
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- Magnitude 5.8, 33 km deep
- Maximum water height
- 0.5 m (1.6 ft)
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Tsunami intensity (Soloviev-Imamura)
- -0.5
- Tsunami magnitude (Iida)
- -1
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Definite tsunami
- Source location
- 23.200° N, 121.600° 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.
Reference #414:
1917, May 6, 21:19 [local time]. Validity 4. There was an earthquake, 23.2 N., 121.6 E, magnitude 5.8; accompanied by a tsunami (validity 4) on the east coast of Taiwan Island. At Chilung (Keelung), the waves were observed from 2:00 to 16:00. The maximal wave, registered at 3 [5?]:26, had an amplitude of 50 cm. The predominant period of the waves was 26 minutes. (The times in the text and on the tide gauge record, taken from the primary source, do not coincide. The reason has not been established.)
Reference #79:
1917, May 6, 12:19 UTC. 23.2 N, 121.6 E, magnitude 5.8, shallow depth, tsunami validity 4. Taiwan, E. coast. Keelung 0.5 m, period 26 minutes.
Reference #8575:
1917, May 6. Taiwan Strait. Validity 2, Keelung 0.5 or 1 or 3.7 m amplitude.
Reference #12988:
1917, May 6. Keelung offshore (23.2N, 121.6E) earthquake of Ms 5.8 triggered tsunami; “Keelung has tsunami of 1 m for 26 min.” (Bao, 1991)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Keelung | Taiwan | 217 | 0.5 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) |
More
Every tsunami in 1917The 1900sTsunamis of TaiwanThe 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 1445.