November 16, 1755 Earthquake: Coruna, Spain, Atlantic Ocean
An earthquake struck Coruna, Spain, Atlantic Ocean on November 16, 1755 at 15:30 UTC. It caused a tsunami.
Map
Where it struck, with the other significant earthquakes within 200 km. Circles are sized and colored by magnitude; select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Date
- November 16, 1755
- Time
- 15:30 UTC
- Place
- Coruna, Spain, Atlantic Ocean
- Intensity
- 7 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- Yes: the tsunami it caused
- Epicenter
- 43.400° N, 11.000° W
- Country
- Atlantic Ocean
The toll
- Damage
- Limited (under about $1 million)
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.
1755 Nov 16. According to Mendonca (1758) “[. . . ] On the 16 November, about half past three there was a big explosion. It was felt in Santiago de Compostella and Coruna, where it caused some damage as well as flux and reflux of the sea [. . . ]”. The catalog of Rodriguez (1932) reports this event quoting Mendonc¸a (1758). Perrey (1847) includes the following description: “The 16th, 3 hours 30 minutes in the afternoon, at Lisbon, the land subsided, and made the same effect as a trying ship; the sea inflated in a prodigious way”. (reference #4649)
1755 Nov 16. Lisbon. The earth seemed to rise and fall like a ship. (reference #521)
1755 Nov 16. La Coruna and Santiago [de Compostela]. Maximum Intensity of VII. (reference #12950)
More
Significant earthquakes of 1755The 1700sRecent earthquakes near hereThis day in weather history
Sources
Significant earthquakes 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 earthquake 10546.