August 9, 1979 Tsunami: Lomblen Island [lembata], Indonesia
A tsunami caused by a landslide began at Lomblen Island [lembata], Indonesia on August 9, 1979. 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
- August 9, 1979
- Source
- Lomblen Island [lembata], Indonesia
- Cause
- Landslide
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Erroneous entry
- Source location
- 8.500° S, 123.500° 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.
A second tsunami caused by landsliding was reported to have struck the south coast of Lomblen Island on August 9, with waves reaching more than 120 m inland. [This is probably an incorrect date for the tsunami on July 18, 1979] (reference #45)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lomblen Island (Lembata) doubtful | Indonesia | 0 | 120 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1979The 1900sTsunamis of IndonesiaThis 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 2118.