May 6, 1924 Tsunami: Philippines
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 6.5 earthquake and a landslide began at Philippines on May 6, 1924 at 16:09:20 UTC. 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, 1924, 16:09:20 UTC
- Source
- Philippines
- Cause
- Earthquake and landslide
- Earthquake
- Magnitude 6.5
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Tsunami intensity (Soloviev-Imamura)
- 1.5
- Tsunami magnitude (Iida)
- 1
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Definite tsunami
- Source location
- 16.000° N, 118.000° E
The toll
- Damage
- Limited (under about $1 million)
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.
Reference #414:
1924, May 7, 0:10 [local time]. There was an earthquake with epicenter near 16 N, 118 E, magnitude 6.5. It was felt with a force of 4 degrees (V Rossi-Forel) at Agno. Agno was the only sizeable settlement near the source of the earthquake. It is situated on the northern shore of the Agno River (Balincagin), 3 km from the mouth. The sea coast on this area, which is made up of river deposits, is low-lying, unlike the high abraded shores lying to the north and south. Soon after the earthquake, four large sea waves surged onto Agno. The waves inundated the lower regions of the city and terrified the residents. However, no one was injured and material damage was minor.
Reference #7065:
A submarine volcano eruption off the coast of Luzon caused a strong earthquake shock and tidal wave at Agno and Pangasinan at 11:30 pm on May 29 [probably incorrect date]. Only minor damage reported--Reuter.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agno, Luzon Island | Philippines | 193 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1924The 1900sTsunamis of PhilippinesThe 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 1538.