October 8, 1994 Tsunami: Halmahera, Indonesia
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 6.8 earthquake began at Halmahera, Indonesia on October 8, 1994 at 21:44:07 UTC. The water rose as high as 3 meters. Its effects were recorded at 1 place. It killed 1 person.
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
- October 8, 1994, 21:44:07 UTC
- Source
- Halmahera, Indonesia
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- Magnitude 6.8, 17 km deep
- Maximum water height
- 3 m (9.8 ft)
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Tsunami intensity (Soloviev-Imamura)
- 1.5
- Tsunami magnitude (Iida)
- 1.6
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Definite tsunami
- Source location
- 1.258° S, 127.980° E
The toll
- Deaths
- 1
- Injuries
- 52
- Damage
- Moderate (about $1 to $5 million)
- Houses damaged
- 500
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 strong earthquake hit the Maluku region of Indonesia on Oct 9, 1994, at 4:44 hrs local time (Oct 8 21:44 UTC). A bulletin issued by the Department of Humanitarian Affairs in Geneva, reports the earthquake was immediately followed by a three meter tsunami which affected six villages on Obi Island. The local authorities reported the following preliminary data on casualties and damage [did not specify if earthquake or tsunami damage]: 1 dead; 12 severely injured and 40 slightly injured; 113 houses severely damaged and 364 slightly damaged; 2 health centres slightly damaged; some damage also reported to bridges and piers, elementary schools, village offices, mosques and churches.(reference #229)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Obi Island | Indonesia | 39 | 3 | Eyewitness observation of water height | 1 |
More
Every tsunami in 1994The 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 2231.