December 1, 1927 Tsunami: Sulawesi, Indonesia
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 6.2 earthquake began at Sulawesi, Indonesia on December 1, 1927 at 04:37:24 UTC. The water rose as high as 15 meters. Its effects were recorded at 2 places. It killed 50 people, counting the earthquake or eruption that caused it.
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
- December 1, 1927, 04:37:24 UTC
- Source
- Sulawesi, Indonesia
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- Magnitude 6.2, 20 km deep
- Maximum water height
- 15 m (49.2 ft)
- Runups recorded
- 2
- Tsunami intensity (Soloviev-Imamura)
- 3
- Tsunami magnitude (Iida)
- 3.9
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Probable tsunami
- Source location
- 0.881° S, 120.751° E
The toll
- Deaths
- 50
- Injuries
- 50
- Damage
- Moderate (about $1 to $5 million); Severe (about $5 to $25 million) with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
- Houses destroyed
- Some (about 51 to 100); 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:
There was a strong earthquake with source in the region of Palu Bay (Sulawesi Island). At the same time, a tidal wave appeared in Palu Bay. At Talise, a pier with a ladder was completely washed away.
Reference #1188:
50 people sustained injuries and 50 died.
Reference #13933:
For the 1927 tsunami, we found that it caused subsidence along the Palu waterfront at Talise (Anonymous, 1928). The colonial Dutch media (e.g., Bataviaasch nieuwsblad, 3 December 1927) reported damage to traditional homes along the shores of Palu Bay and wave heights were estimated to have reached 15 m (Anonymous, 1928). We did not find additional information from outside Palu.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Talise | Indonesia | 97 | Eyewitness observation of water height | ||||
| Palu Bay, Sulawesi | Indonesia | 98 | 15 | Eyewitness observation of water height | 14 |
More
Every tsunami in 1927The 1900sTsunamis of IndonesiaThe 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 1587.