September 12, 2007 Tsunami: Sumatra, Indonesia
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 8.4 earthquake began at Sumatra, Indonesia on September 12, 2007 at 11:10:26 UTC. The water rose as high as 5 meters. Its effects were recorded at 56 places in at least 13 countries. It killed 25 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
- September 12, 2007, 11:10:26 UTC
- Source
- Sumatra, Indonesia
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- Magnitude 8.4, 34 km deep
- Maximum water height
- 5 m (16.4 ft)
- Runups recorded
- 56
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Definite tsunami
- Source location
- 4.438° S, 101.367° E
The toll
- Deaths
- 25 with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
- Injuries
- 161 with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
- Damage
- Limited (under about $1 million); Severe (about $5 to $25 million) with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
- Houses destroyed
- 56,425 with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
- Houses damaged
- Some (about 51 to 100)
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.
On September 12, 2007, at 11:10:26 UTC [6:10 pm local time in Indonesia] a magnitude 8.4 Mw earthquake 130 km (80 miles) SW of Bengkulu, Sumatra, Indonesia generated a tsunami that caused some building damage in the Serangai area, north of Bengkulu. (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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Port South, Sumatra | Indonesia | 117 | 1.7 | 90 | Runup height, post-tsunami survey | ||
| Bengkulu, Sumatra | Indonesia | 121 | 1.4 | 40 | Runup height, post-tsunami survey | ||
| Port North, Sumatra | Indonesia | 121 | 1.2 | 64 | Runup height, post-tsunami survey | ||
| Bengkulu, Sumatra | Indonesia | 122 | 1.7 | 130 | Runup height, post-tsunami survey | ||
| Bengkulu, Sumatra | Indonesia | 122 | 1.4 | Runup height, post-tsunami survey | |||
| Bengkulu, Sumatra | Indonesia | 123 | 1.4 | 151 | Runup height, post-tsunami survey | ||
| Lais 2, Sumatra | Indonesia | 125 | 3 | 35 | Runup height, post-tsunami survey | ||
| Lais 1, Sumatra | Indonesia | 125 | 3.9 | 30 | Runup height, post-tsunami survey | ||
| Serangai, Sumatra | Indonesia | 126 | 5 | 500 | Runup height, post-tsunami survey | ||
| Serangai 2, Sumatra | Indonesia | 126 | 3 | 140 | Runup height, post-tsunami survey | ||
| Desa Seranga, Sumatra | Indonesia | 126 | 2.35 | 300 | Runup height, post-tsunami survey | ||
| Karang Pulau, Sumatra | Indonesia | 130 | 3.3 | 45 | Runup height, post-tsunami survey | ||
| Pasar Seluma, Sumatra | Indonesia | 132 | 2 | 100 | Runup height, post-tsunami survey | ||
| Pantai Indah, Sumatra | Indonesia | 133 | 1.9 | 50 | Runup height, post-tsunami survey | ||
| South Air Rami, Sumatra | Indonesia | 148 | 2 | 150 | Runup height, post-tsunami survey | ||
| Air Rami, Sumatra | Indonesia | 149 | 1.8 | 172 | Runup height, post-tsunami survey | ||
| Air Rami, Sumatra | Indonesia | 149 | 1.8 | 250 | Runup height, post-tsunami survey | ||
| South Ipuh, Sumatra | Indonesia | 151 | 2.2 | 93 | Runup height, post-tsunami survey | ||
| Muara Maras, Sumatra | Indonesia | 159 | 1.7 | 281 | Runup height, post-tsunami survey | ||
| Ipuh (Retak Ilir), Sumatra | Indonesia | 163 | 1.8 | 47 | Runup height, post-tsunami survey | ||
| Pasar Bawah Manna, Sumatra | Indonesia | 170 | 3.5 | 56 | Runup height, post-tsunami survey | ||
| Teluk Biringin, Sumatra | Indonesia | 196 | 1.4 | 20 | Runup height, post-tsunami survey | ||
| Pantai Indah 1 | Indonesia | 206 | 2.75 | 300 | Runup height, post-tsunami survey | ||
| Pantai Indah 2 | Indonesia | 207 | 2.15 | 350 | Runup height, post-tsunami survey | ||
| Pantai Indah 3 | Indonesia | 207 | 3.6 | 250 | Runup height, post-tsunami survey | ||
| Padang, Sumatra | Indonesia | 395 | 0.98 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Sibolga, Sumatra | Indonesia | 740 | 0.09 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Cilacap | Indonesia | 920 | 0.26 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Cocos Island (Keeling) | Australia | 982 | 0.12 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Prigi, S. Java | Indonesia | 1,221 | 0.21 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Sabang, Sumatra | Indonesia | 1,318 | 0.08 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Kotaphao Noi, Phuket Island | Thailand | 1,395 | 0.04 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Benoa, Bali Island | Indonesia | 1,603 | 0.02 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| D23401 Bpr, 600 NM W-Nw of Phuket | Thailand | 2,050 | 0.02 | Deep ocean gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Onslow | Australia | 2,416 | 0.16 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 12, 15:55 | ||
| Carnarvon | Australia | 2,618 | 0.17 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 12, 16:25 | ||
| Trincomalee | Sri Lanka | 2,658 | 0.3 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Colombo | Sri Lanka | 2,702 | 0.3 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Geraldton | Australia | 3,032 | 0.32 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 12, 16:00 | ||
| Gan | Maldives | 3,164 | 0.07 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Jurien Bay | Australia | 3,202 | 0.09 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 12, 15:35 | ||
| Diego Garcia, Chagos Islands | UK Territories | 3,223 | 0.05 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Male | Maldives | 3,240 | 0.11 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Hanimaadhoo, Haa Dhaalu | Maldives | 3,370 | 0.12 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Kavaratti, Lakshadweep | India | 3,593 | 0.03 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 12, 16:30 | ||
| Verem, Goa | India | 3,754 | 0.15 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 12, 19:15 | ||
| Rodrigues Island, Port Mathurin | Mauritius | 4,446 | 0.57 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Pointe LA Rue, Mahe Island | Seychelles | 5,086 | 0.2 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Sainte Marie | Reunion (French Territory) | 5,280 | 0.6 | Eyewitness observation of water height | |||
| Pointe des Galets | Reunion (French Territory) | 5,301 | 0.3 | Eyewitness observation of water height | |||
| Reunion | Reunion (French Territory) | 5,302 | 0.24 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Saint Gilles | Reunion (French Territory) | 5,311 | 1.13 | Eyewitness observation of water height | |||
| Sur Masirah | Oman | 5,409 | 0.66 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Salalah | Oman | 5,719 | 0.66 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Lamu | Kenya | 6,721 | 0.04 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Port Elizabeth | South Africa | 8,423 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 12, 21:30 |
More
Every tsunami in 2007The 2000sTsunamis 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 3228.