September 25, 1931 Tsunami: SW. Sumatra, Indonesia
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7.4 earthquake began at SW. Sumatra, Indonesia on September 25, 1931 at 05:59:44 UTC. The water rose as high as 1 meters. 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
- September 25, 1931, 05:59:44 UTC
- Source
- SW. Sumatra, Indonesia
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- Magnitude 7.4
- Maximum water height
- 1 m (3.3 ft)
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Tsunami magnitude (Iida)
- 4.9
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Probable tsunami
- Source location
- 5.000° S, 102.750° E
The toll
- Damage
- Limited (under about $1 million) 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.
There was a strong earthquake with source between the islands of Enggano and Sumatra. On Enggano Island, as a result of the earthquake the sea became very rough and the waves rose almost to the terrace of Pulau Island, at about 1 m above the highest tide mark. (reference #414)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enggano Island | Indonesia | 67 | 1 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1931The 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 1644.