January 8, 1985 Tsunami: Kosrae Islands, Caroline Islands, Micronesia
A tsunami of unknown cause began at Kosrae Islands, Caroline Islands, Micronesia on January 8, 1985. 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
- January 8, 1985
- Source
- Kosrae Islands, Caroline Islands, Micronesia
- Cause
- Unknown
- Earthquake
- The earthquake
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Probable tsunami
- Source location
- 5.145° N, 162.850° 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.
Event [earthquake on 10 January 1985] may also be related to a small, locally generated tsunami reported by Kosrae residents on January 8, 1985 (teletype message to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center via RCA Global Communications on January 10, 1985 at 2129 GMT). (reference #14397)
Note: source location unknown, location provided in database is based on a potentially related earthquake reported by ref #14397
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kosrae Island, Caroline Islands | Micronesia | 24 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1985The 1900sTsunamis of MicronesiaThe 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 6176.