May 14, 1981 Eruption of Semeru

Date

May 14, 1981

Volcano

Semeru, stratovolcano

Country

Indonesia

Volcanic Explosivity Index

3, moderate to large (eruption column 3 to 15 km)

Killed by

Secondary (post-eruption) mudflows

Location

8.108° S, 112.922° E

Deaths

372

Missing

120

Injuries

152

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.

• December 4, 2022VEI 4
• December 4, 2021VEI 4 · 45 deaths · $20 million · 2,970 houses destroyed
• 2002VEI 3 · 3 deaths
• July 27, 2000VEI 3 · 2 deaths
• September 2, 1997VEI 3 · 2 deaths
• February 3, 1994VEI 3 · 6 deaths
• 1992VEI 3 · 3 deaths
• July 30, 1988VEI 3 · 1 death
• May 10, 1985VEI 3 · 70 deaths
• March 29, 1981VEI 3 · 1 death
• September 19, 1978VEI 3 · 12 deaths
• August 31, 1976VEI 2 · 119 deaths
• August 31, 1967VEI 3 · 3 deaths
• May 5, 1963VEI 2 · 1 death
• August 28, 1950VEI 1 · 6 deaths
• October 29, 1946VEI 2
• February 1946VEI 2 · 6 deaths · 81 houses destroyed
• September 21, 1941VEI 2
• June 23, 1913VEI 2
• November 8, 1911VEI 3
• August 29, 1909VEI 2 · 221 deaths
• May 22, 1895VEI 2 · 80 deaths
• April 18, 1885VEI 2 · 74 deaths
• April 1860VEI 2

Every eruption in 1981The 1900sSemeruEarthquakes near SemeruThis day in weather history

Volcanoes and significant eruptions 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. Volcano numbers are the Smithsonian Institution’s Global Volcanism Program’s. NCEI event 6366.