November 13, 1856 Earthquake: Chios (E Sporades), Greece
A magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck Chios (E Sporades), Greece on November 13, 1856. 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 13, 1856
- Place
- Chios (E Sporades), Greece
- Magnitude
- 6.6 (Ms)
- Intensity
- 9 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- Yes: the tsunami it caused
- Epicenter
- 38.250° N, 26.250° E
- Country
- Greece
The toll
- Deaths
- Some (about 51 to 100)
- Damage
- Moderate (about $1 to $5 million)
- Houses destroyed
- Many (101 to 1,000)
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.
November 13, 1856, 38.25 N, 26.25 E, intensity IX, Chios (Eastern Sporades), tsunami, casualties. (reference #1198)
November 13, 1856, 38.25 N, 26.25 E, At Khios (Chios) many houses collapsed, almost all were fissured, casualties (GG, GA), tsunami (ANS); error in date? it might correspond to 1865, Nov. 11-14 given by (SAM). (reference #1099)
November 13, 1856, 38.25 N, 26.25 E, magnitude 6.6. Aegean Sea, Island of Chios. Many houses collapsed as a result of earthquake in the town of Chios, and all the other buildings cracked or were damaged. Several people were killed. A large tidal wave was observed. (reference #2130)
From 1 October 1852 till 1 October 1856, 53 shocks stronger or lighter were feH. Most of these occurred in 1853 and 1855 and less during the years 1854, 1856. A shock occurred on 13 November 1856 which was stronger than the previous ones. It shook the whole city. Many houses fell down and almost all were fissured or were damaged in sorne way. The sea rushed on the land and some people were lost (Zolotas, 1921). (reference #4408)
Reference #9116 lists a damaging earthquake in Chios on 25 November 1856, where the sea flooded the coast with violence in Chios drowning a few people.
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- July 10, 1668, Turkey
- July 10, 1688, Izmir, Turkey
- October 15, 1883, Ayvalik, Izmir, Cesme, Turkey
- April 3, 1881, Cesme, Khios, Turkey, Greece
- October 1491, Kos, Greece
- February 23, 1653, Izmir,alasehir,denizli,aydin, Turkey
- 688, Izmir, Turkey
- March 7, 1867, Izmir, Mitilini, Turkey, Greece
- August 6, 1384, Lesbos, Greece
- April 23, 1933, Dodecanese Islands, Greece
- March 31, 1928, Tepekoy, Torbali, Turkey
- October 30, 2020, Izmir, Samos, Turkey, Greece
- July 9, 1956, Dodecanese, Greece
- March 28, 1969, Alasehir, Sarigol, Kiraz, Turkey
- September 21, 1939, Turkey
More
Significant earthquakes of 1856The 1800sRecent 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 2006.