December 16, 1963 Tsunami: Java, Indonesia
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 6.6 earthquake began at Java, Indonesia on December 16, 1963 at 01:51:31 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
- December 16, 1963, 01:51:31 UTC
- Source
- Java, Indonesia
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- Magnitude 6.6, 64 km deep
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Tsunami intensity (Soloviev-Imamura)
- 0
- Tsunami magnitude (Iida)
- -0.5
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Questionable tsunami
- Source location
- 6.400° S, 105.400° E
The toll
- Damage
- Limited (under about $1 million) with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
- Houses damaged
- Few (about 1 to 50) 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.
December 16, 1963, 01:51:31 UTC, 6.4 S, 105.4 E, depth 64 km, magnitude 6.6 MS. There was an earthquake, which caused light destruction at Labuhan and Menes. A weak tsunami was reported from Labuhan. (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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labuhan | Indonesia | 46 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1963The 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 1949.