October 24, 842 Tsunami: Channel Islands, England, United Kingdom
A tsunami caused by an earthquake began at Channel Islands, England, United Kingdom on October 24, 842. Its effects were recorded at 2 places in at least 2 countries.
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 24, 842
- Source
- Channel Islands, England, United Kingdom
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- The earthquake
- Runups recorded
- 2
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Very doubtful tsunami
- Source location
- 49.500° N, 2.500° W
The toll
- Damage
- Limited (under about $1 million) 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.
October 24, 842. Channel Islands (49.5 N, 02.5 W) and northern France. Local earthquake. The shock threw down the monuments... and also engulfed the seashore of the neighboring continent. (reference #43)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Channel Islands, England | United Kingdom | 23 | Eyewitness observation of water height | ||||
| Northern France | France | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 842The 800sTsunamis of United KingdomThe 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 67.