August 17, 1959 Tsunami: Solomon Islands
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7.3 earthquake began at Solomon Islands on August 17, 1959 at 21:04:40 UTC. The water rose as high as 1 meters. Its effects were recorded at 5 places.
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
- August 17, 1959, 21:04:40 UTC
- Source
- Solomon Islands
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- Magnitude 7.3, 33 km deep
- Maximum water height
- 1 m (3.3 ft)
- Runups recorded
- 5
- Tsunami magnitude (Iida)
- 1.3
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Definite tsunami
- Source location
- 7.500° S, 156.000° E
The toll
- Damage
- Moderate (about $1 to $5 million); Severe (about $5 to $25 million) with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
- Houses damaged
- Few (about 1 to 50)
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.
At Binskin islet (or Inia) south of Vella and off the north coast of the small Baga Island, the wave approached Supato in the east, through the Beagle Channel... The water rose about 3 1/2 feet above the present low water mark... The west side of Supato Bay and all that coastline further NW for three miles or so had just subsided about 12 inches, and was immediately swept by the wave, which damaged houses along the shore. At Binskin Islet ... The two jetties were destroyed only one shore of one jetty remaining intact, being braced and strongly made. (reference #99)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NW of Paramata, Vella Lavella Is | Solomon Islands | 64 | Eyewitness observation of water height | ||||
| Baga Island | Solomon Islands | 72 | Eyewitness observation of water height | ||||
| Supato, Vella Lavella Island | Solomon Islands | 77 | Eyewitness observation of water height | ||||
| Emu Harbour, Ranongga Island | Solomon Islands | 78 | 1 | Eyewitness observation of water height | |||
| Liapari Island | Solomon Islands | 93 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1959The 1900sTsunamis of Solomon IslandsThe 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 1892.