August 17, 1983 Tsunami: Luzon Island, Philippines
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 6.6 earthquake began at Luzon Island, Philippines on August 17, 1983 at 12:17:56 UTC. Its effects were recorded at 2 places. It killed 16 people, counting the earthquake or eruption that caused it.
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, 1983, 12:17:56 UTC
- Source
- Luzon Island, Philippines
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- Magnitude 6.6, 29 km deep
- Runups recorded
- 2
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Probable tsunami
- Source location
- 18.231° N, 120.860° E
The toll
- Deaths
- 16 with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
- Injuries
- 47 with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
- Damage
- Moderate (about $1 to $5 million) with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
- Houses destroyed
- Many (101 to 1,000) 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.
A magnitude 6.5 Ms (USGS) earthquake at 12:17 UT in the Philippines caused 16 fatalities, 47 injuries and extensive damage in the Pasuquin-Laoag-Batac and Serrat areas. Unconfirmed reports of a small tsunami along the coast of Ilocos Norte Province. Validity 2 (reference #1315)
In Paoay, Ilocos Norte Province, "According to some fishermen, the water looked as though it were boiling beneath; but the surface of the water was calm; the water on the shoreline receded." (reference #1187)
According to some fishermen in Paoay, the water looked as though it were boiling beneath, but the surface of the water was calm. They also noticed that the water on the shoreline receded. Slight swelling of the sea water was noted in the shore of Pasuquin town in the province of Ilocos Norte. Tsunami probability is ranked as “positive”. (reference #10958)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pasuquin, Ilocos Norte Province | Philippines | 30 | Eyewitness observation of water height | ||||
| Paoay, Ilocos Norte Province | Philippines | 41 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1983The 1900sTsunamis of PhilippinesThe 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 2148.