June 28, 1926 Tsunami: SW. Sumatra, Indonesia

Name: June 28, 1926 Tsunami: SW. Sumatra, Indonesia
Start: 1926-06-28
Location: SW. Sumatra, Indonesia

June 28, 1926 · Deaths: very many · An event that only caused a seiche

A tsunami caused by a magnitude 6.6 earthquake began at SW. Sumatra, Indonesia on June 28, 1926 at 03:23:27 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

Tsunami warnings in force

The tsunami

Date: June 28, 1926, 03:23:27 UTC
Source: SW. Sumatra, Indonesia
Cause: Earthquake
Earthquake: Magnitude 6.6, 15 km deep
Runups recorded: 1
Tsunami intensity (Soloviev-Imamura): 0
Waters: A lake or river, not the ocean
How certain: An event that only caused a seiche
Source location: 0.059° N, 101.419° E

The toll

Deaths: Very many (over 1,000) with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
Injuries: Many (about 101 to 1,000)
Damage: Moderate (about $1 to $5 million)
Houses destroyed: Many (101 to 1,000) with the earthquake or eruption that caused it

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:

1926, June 28, 03:23:25 UTC, 1.5 S, 99.5 E, magnitude 6.75. There was a strong earthquake in the region of Sinkarak Lake (Sumatra Island). The south coast of the lake collapsed in places and tidal waves arose. They reached the north shore in about 10 minutes. Note: Ref #414 lists as an Erroneous reference to a tsunami, p.382 .

Reference #3831:

1926, June 28. Epic.: 0.7 S, 100.6 E. Intensity VIII to IX. Destructive around the lake Singkarak; Sidjundjung. Muarabungo and Alahan Pandjang suffered damage. The quake was followed by a train of aftershocks. A part of the lake Singkarak subsided and many people were injured.

Reference #12633 lists no tsunami

Reference #13793:

Not only did the earthquake destroy built infrastructure, but it also caused damage to the ecosystem and natural environment. The earthquake caused many roads to crack as wide as three to five centimeters. Besides that, the earthquake also caused landslides in Padang Panjang, Kubu Krambil, and Simabur. Some of the environment around Lake Singkarak also suffered severe damage because the earthquake caused the lake water to overflow which then flooded the surrounding area.

Reference #12345 lists as validity 1 (very doubtful) with an unknown cause. (accessed august 2024)

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
Sudjundjung	Indonesia	124			Other

Every tsunami in 1926 The 1900s Tsunamis of Indonesia The earthquake This day in weather history Alerts 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 1567.