February 4, 1169 Tsunami: Eastern Sicily, Italy
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7 earthquake began at Eastern Sicily, Italy on February 4, 1169 at 07:00 UTC. Its effects were recorded at 1 place. It killed 16,000 people, counting the earthquake or eruption that caused it.
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
- February 4, 1169, 07:00 UTC
- Source
- Eastern Sicily, Italy
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- Magnitude 7
- Volcano
- The eruption that caused it
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Tsunami intensity (Soloviev-Imamura)
- 4
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Definite tsunami
- Source location
- 37.300° N, 15.030° E
The toll
- Deaths
- 16,000 with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
- Damage
- Limited (under about $1 million); Severe (about $5 to $25 million) with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
- Houses destroyed
- Many (101 to 1,000) 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.
1169, February 4, 07UTC. 37o19'N, 15o02'E, magnitude 6.6, intensity X, tsunami reliability 4. Earthquake epicenter south of Catania. Felt in Sicily and in Calabria near Reggio. At the same time an eruption at Etna volcano occurred. At Catania sea withdrawal by 5 m. Inundation at the mouth of the Simeto river (Boschi, r124).
In Messina, the sea receded from the coast and then came back destroying the city walls and flooding the town (Falcando, r39). At the town lighthouse the sea level withdrew by about 5 m, then came back to its position (see Bernardo Marangone quoted in Boschi , r124 CD ROM).
Further references: Mercalli (r13 and r40), Capocci (r34 and r35), Baratta (r1), Carrozzo (r41), Caputo (r5), Soloviev (r414, r582), Tinti (r82 and r9, r597). (reference #4139)
1169 (possibly 1135,1157,1183,1186), February 4. 37o30'N, 15o20'E, I = XI, tsunami intensity = 4 - 5. Calabrian Arc, Strait of Messina. A destructive earthquake occurred on the Island of Sicily and in Calabria. Catania and Lentini were destroyed. Cathedrals crashed down in Catania and Syracuse. 15,000 citizens were lost under the wreckage of buildings. Cosenza was partly destroyed. In Messina, the sea first receded from the coast, then, some time later, overflowed the coast line, gushed out onto dry land, surged up to the walls and penetrated into the town through the gate. (reference #2130)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Messina, Sicily | Italy | 108 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1169The 1100sTsunamis of ItalyThe earthquakeThe eruptionThis 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 2852.