July 23, 1961 Tsunami: Vanuatu Islands

Name: July 23, 1961 Tsunami: Vanuatu Islands
Start: 1961-07-23
Location: Vanuatu Islands

July 23, 1961 · 0.9 m · Probable tsunami

A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7.3 earthquake began at Vanuatu Islands on July 23, 1961 at 21:51:10 UTC. The water rose as high as 0.9 meters. Its effects were recorded at 2 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

Tsunami warnings in force

The tsunami

Date: July 23, 1961, 21:51:10 UTC
Source: Vanuatu Islands
Cause: Earthquake
Earthquake: Magnitude 7.3, 45 km deep
Maximum water height: 0.9 m (3.0 ft)
Runups recorded: 2
Tsunami intensity (Soloviev-Imamura): -0.5
Waters: Ocean
How certain: Probable tsunami
Source location: 18.421° S, 168.411° E

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.

Reference #414:

1961, July 23 21:51:07 UTC, [July 24 8:51 local time]. Validity 3. There was a 6-degree earthquake on the islands of Efate and Eromanga. The earthquake was 4 degrees on the islands of Tanna, Epi, Malekula and the Loyaute Islands. About 10 minutes after the earthquake, a tsunami with a range of oscillations of 1-1.5 m was observed in the Port Vila roadstead and at Torari [incorrect spelling of Forari] (Efate Island). Minor damage was done at both places.

[23.VII; 21h51m07s; 18.5 S., 168.5 E.; 45 km; M=6.8]

Reference #79:

1961, July 23, 21:51 UTC. 18.5 N, `68.3 E, magnitude 7-7.25. Tsunami source New Hebrides. Tsunami observation: Vila 0.9 m, Forari 0.9 m.

Reference #45:

1961, July 23, 21:51:07.5 UTC. 18.5 N, 168.3 E, Depth 44 km, magnitude 7-7.25. 4.9-foot tsunami caused slight damage at Port Vila and Forari.

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
Port Vila, Efate Island	Vanuatu	74	0.9		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Forari	Vanuatu	84	0.9		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)

Every tsunami in 1961 The 1900s Tsunamis of Vanuatu The earthquake This day in weather history Alerts 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 1921.