December 2, 1950 Tsunami: Vanuatu Islands
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7.8 earthquake began at Vanuatu Islands on December 2, 1950 at 19:51:49 UTC. The water rose as high as 2.5 meters. Its effects were recorded at 5 places in at least 2 countries.
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 2, 1950, 19:51:49 UTC
- Source
- Vanuatu Islands
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- Magnitude 7.8, 60 km deep
- Maximum water height
- 2.5 m (8.2 ft)
- Runups recorded
- 5
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Probable tsunami
- Source location
- 18.250° S, 167.500° E
The toll
The record gives no deaths, injuries or damage for this tsunami.
What the record says
NCEI’s account, from the sources it cites.
Reference #11910:
Apart from incidental and domestic mishaps, there have been , to date of writing, no reports of any substantial damage as a result of December's spate of earth tremors in the New Hebrides.
In a news broadcast, Radio Australia reported that there had been recorded 22 earth tremors in the New Hebrides during the 24 hours between Sunday and Monday, December 3 and 4.
The severest tremor, and the first of the series, occurred at approximately 7 am, on December 3. It was felt even on ships at anchor in Mele Bay. Minor tidal waves, precipitated by the tremor, at first threatened the village of Erakor, on Erakor Island, a quarter mile off the mainland of Efate and several miles from Vila.
Successive days brought subsequent shakes, downpours of rain and sudden violen thunderstorms.
Reference #13893:
3–4 December 1950 (LT) south-west Efate. Following a seismic crisis felt in Port Vila (22 shocks in 24 h) including a large Mw 7.9 earthquake on 2 December 1950 at 19:52 UTC, located south-west of Efate and west-north-west of Erromango, a tsunami was reported from Erakor Island, Port Vila (O’Reilly, 1956, in Louat and Baldassari, 1989).
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Erakor Island | Vanuatu | 100 | Eyewitness observation of water height | ||||
| Poindimie | New Caledonia | 374 | 2.5 | Eyewitness observation of water height | |||
| Hienghene | New Caledonia | 381 | 0.8 | Eyewitness observation of water height | |||
| Canala | New Caledonia | 394 | Eyewitness observation of water height | ||||
| Ile des Pins | New Caledonia | 482 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1950The 1900sTsunamis of VanuatuThe 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 5660.