April 9, 1919 Tsunami: Hawaii, United States
A tsunami of unknown cause began at Hawaii, United States on April 9, 1919. 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
- April 9, 1919
- Source
- Hawaii, United States
- Cause
- Unknown
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Erroneous entry
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.
Erroneous report for the April 30 and Oct. 2, 1919 tsunamis.
1919, January, April 9, or April 29. Errors in several reports have confused the dates and effects of two separate tsunamis...Soloviev and Go (reference #415) list the dates as January or April 9 and also a separate entry for the September-October eruption of Mauna Loa and October 2 local tsunami. There were two tsunamis: one generated by an earthquake in the Tonga Islands on April 30, 1919, and another near Hoopuloa on October 2, 1919, from a submarine slump of volcanic material (Reference #236).
1919, January or April 9. Short-period tidal waves of a local nature arose on the third day after the volcanic eruption on Hawaii island, during which the Alika lava flow descended into the sea. Their height varied from 1 to 4 m (3-14 feet) and was maximal near the tongue of the lava flow. The pier was flooded at Hoopuloa (Reference #415).
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hoopuloa, Hawaii, HI, HI doubtful | United States | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1919The 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 1469.