September 4, 1923 Tsunami: N. California, United States
A tsunami of meteorological origin began at N. California, United States on September 4, 1923. The water rose as high as 6.1 meters. Its effects were recorded at 1 place. It killed 1 person.
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
- September 4, 1923
- Source
- N. California, United States
- Cause
- Meteorological
- Maximum water height
- 6.1 m (20.0 ft)
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Erroneous entry
The toll
- Deaths
- 1
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.
Large waves speculated to have been the result of an earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Hawaii received waves of only 3 centimeters. Events not correlated in time. Meteorologically induced event. Ten deep-water vessels broke their moorings more than once during the day. The USS Idaho and USS Nevada rolled badly. One man drowned trying to save companions swept 200 yards to sea.
There was a sudden rise of water in California resulting in destruction at Jose de Cado. [Apparently, waves of meteorological origin] (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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jose DE Cado, CA | United States | 6.1 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1923The 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 1525.