Tsunamis of China
Every tsunami NOAA records that began in or off China, oldest to newest.
China’s tsunamis on the map
At the source, colored by the highest water recorded. A ring is an event NCEI rates doubtful or questionable.
- Under 1 m
- 1 to 3 m
- 3 to 10 m
- 10 to 30 m
- 30 m and more
- Height not recorded
The record
- Events
- 44
- Probable or definite
- 26
- Deaths counted
- 386,588
The deadliest
- December 16, 1920, Gansu and Shanxi Provinces, China
- May 12, 2008, Sichuan Province, China
- July 25, 1668, Tancheng, Shandong Province, China
- May 1765, South China Sea
- September 6, 1833, Yunnan Province, China
- July 13, 1605, South China Sea
- February 13, 1918, Guangdong Province, China
- December 18, 1935, Sichuan Province, China
- July 14, 2003, Qinggan River, Hubei Province, China
- July 18, 1969, Bohai Sea, China
- June 12, 1985, Quyuan, Zigui County, China
- June 15, 2007, Dayantang, Enshi, China
- July 20, 2009, Xiaowan Reservoir, Yunnan Province, China
- June 24, 2015, Wushan, Chongqing, China
Every event
Newest first.
- October 10, 2018, Baige (Jinsha River), China
- June 24, 2015, Wushan, Chongqing, China
- December 28, 2012, Zhaojun Bridge, Hubei Province, China
- July 20, 2009, Xiaowan Reservoir, Yunnan Province, China
- November 23, 2008, Wu Gorge, Wushan County, China
- May 12, 2008, Sichuan Province, China
- June 15, 2007, Dayantang, Enshi, China
- July 14, 2003, Qinggan River, Hubei Province, China
- January 5, 1992, South China Sea
- November 1991, Aoshan, China
- June 12, 1985, Quyuan, Zigui County, China
- July 18, 1969, Bohai Sea, China
- February 7, 1958, Sichuan Province, China
- September 23, 1955, Jinsha River, Yunnan Province, China
- February 11, 1954, Gansu and Shanxi Provinces, China
- December 21, 1951, Gansu and Shanxi Provinces, China
- May 23, 1948, Shandong Province, China
- December 18, 1935, Sichuan Province, China
- January 3, 1930, Jiangsu Province, China
- August 4, 1921, Xiaosi, Dandong, Liaoning, China
- December 16, 1920, Gansu and Shanxi Provinces, China
- August 14, 1918, Yunnan Province, China
- February 13, 1918, Guangdong Province, China
- January 25, 1917, South China Sea
- June 13, 1888, Bohai Gulf, China
- 1882, Kansu (Gansu?) Province, China
- 1855, Sichuan Province, China
- September 6, 1833, Yunnan Province, China
- November 22, 1767, South China Sea
- May 1765, South China Sea
- April 16, 1710, Hunan Province, China
- December 1682, South China Sea
- August 19, 1670, East China Sea
- July 25, 1668, Tancheng, Shandong Province, China
- September 16, 1640, South China Sea
- March 1634, Hubei Province, China
- July 13, 1605, South China Sea
- December 29, 1604, South China Sea
- January 1531, Jiangsu Province, China
- June 17, 1509, South China Sea
- October 31, 1076, Guangdong Province, South China Sea
- June 28, 173, Laizhou Bay, Bohai Sea, China
- April 4, 171, Bohai Sea, China
- September 47 BC, Laizhou Bay, Bohai Sea, China
By country
- Albania13
- Algeria16
- Antarctica8
- Antigua and Barbuda2
- Argentina6
- Atlantic Ocean4
- Australia59
- Azerbaijan5
- Baltic Sea1
- Bangladesh6
- Barbados3
- Brazil13
- Bulgaria4
- Cameroon2
- Canada36
- Chile169
- China44
- Colombia8
- Congo2
- Cook Islands4
- Costa Rica19
- Croatia18
- Cuba7
- Cyprus6
- Dead Sea1
- Denmark1
- Dominica1
- Dominican Republic6
- East China Sea2
- Ecuador9
- Egypt5
- El Salvador8
- Eritrea1
- Fiji9
- Finland1
- France15
- French Polynesia5
- Georgia2
- Germany2
- Ghana3
- Greece189
- Greenland9
- Grenada2
- Guadeloupe8
- Guatemala9
- Haiti13
- Honduras7
- Iceland10
- India21
- Indonesia269
- Iran6
- Ireland1
- Irish Sea1
- Israel9
- Italy162
- Jamaica11
- Japan385
- Jordan2
- Kenya1
- Kermadec Islands4
- Korea1
- Lebanon6
- Marshall Islands1
- Martinique12
- Mexico84
- Micronesia6
- Montenegro4
- Montserrat5
- Morocco4
- Myanmar3
- Nauru1
- Nepal1
- Netherlands6
- New Caledonia25
- New Zealand92
- Nicaragua8
- North Korea3
- North Sea1
- Northwest Pacific Ocean2
- Norway33
- Pacific Ocean1
- Pakistan4
- Panama10
- Papua New Guinea82
- Peru77
- Philippines113
- Poland2
- Portugal43
- Romania3
- Russia112
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines2
- Samoa16
- Scotland1
- Senegal1
- Solomon Islands48
- South Africa4
- South Korea14
- Spain19
- Sri Lanka2
- Sudan1
- Sweden3
- Switzerland4
- Syria8
- Taiwan29
- Togo3
- Tonga23
- Trinidad and Tobago4
- Tunisia2
- Turkey77
- Turkmenistan3
- UK Territories5
- Ukraine12
- United Kingdom52
- United States288
- Uruguay4
- US Territories27
- Vanuatu53
- Venezuela28
- Vietnam6
- Wallis and Futuna1
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.