April 2, 1977 Tsunami: Samoa Islands
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7.6 earthquake began at Samoa Islands on April 2, 1977 at 07:15:22 UTC. The water rose as high as 0.08 meters. Its effects were recorded at 2 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
- April 2, 1977, 07:15:22 UTC
- Source
- Samoa Islands
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- Magnitude 7.6, 33 km deep
- Maximum water height
- 0.08 m (0.3 ft)
- Runups recorded
- 2
- Tsunami intensity (Soloviev-Imamura)
- -2
- Tsunami magnitude (Iida)
- -3.3
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Definite tsunami
- Source location
- 16.696° S, 172.095° W
The toll
- Damage
- Limited (under about $1 million) 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.
April 2, 1977: 19 hr 35 min. An earthquake occurred in the deepwater Tonga Trench with its epicenter near Samoa. The earthquake caused some destruction in Apia and Pago-Pago and was felt in Suva on the Fiji Islands. The earthquake produced a weak tsunami which was recorded in Apia and Pago Pago. (reference #417)
A magnitude 7.6 earthquake in the Tonga trench region caused a minor tsunami that was recorded with a maximum amplitude of 0.02 m at Apia and a maximum amplitude of 0.08 m at Pago Pago. (reference #236)
Local tsunami observed (4 cm peak to peak) at Apia and (15 cm peak to peak) at Pago Pago. (reference #1053)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pago Pago, American Samoa, AS | US Territories | 307 | 0.08 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 2, 07:45 | ||
| Apia, Upolu Island | Samoa | 319 | 0.02 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 2, 07:54 |
More
Every tsunami in 1977The 1900sTsunamis of SamoaThe 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 2088.