November 21, 1935 Tsunami: Hawaii, United States
A tsunami of meteorological origin began at Hawaii, United States on November 21, 1935 at 11:41 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
- November 21, 1935, 11:41 UTC
- Source
- Hawaii, United States
- Cause
- Meteorological
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Tsunami intensity (Soloviev-Imamura)
- 2
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Very doubtful tsunami
- Source location
- 19.500° N, 155.500° W
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.
An earthquake observed in the Hawaiian Islands, was reported to have been accompanied by a tsunami. However, Cox and Morgan (1977, p. 50) report that a storm was in progress at the time and fishermen at the Wailoa River denied the report of a tsunami. Cox and Morgan consider the report to be very doubtful.
1935 (or 1934), November 21, morning. An earthquake accompanied by a tsunami was felt in the Hawaiian Islands. The railway was damaged. There was considerable damage at Hilo (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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hilo, Hawaii, HI, HI | United States | 52 | 0.1 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1935The 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 1687.