Tsunamis in 1613

August 25, 1613 Tsunami: Messina, Italy

August 25, 1613 · 103 deaths · 200 houses destroyed · Questionable tsunami

A tsunami caused by a magnitude 5.6 earthquake began at Messina, Italy on August 25, 1613. Its effects were recorded at 1 place. It killed 103 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

Tsunami warnings in force

The tsunami

Date
August 25, 1613
Source
Messina, Italy
Cause
Earthquake
Earthquake
Magnitude 5.6
Runups recorded
1
Tsunami intensity (Soloviev-Imamura)
4
Waters
Ocean
How certain
Questionable tsunami
Source location
38.117° N, 14.783° E

The toll

Deaths
103 with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
Damage
Moderate (about $1 to $5 million) with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
Houses destroyed
200 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.

1613, August 25, sunrise. Island of Sicily, region of Messina, tsunami intensity 3-4. The destructive earthquake almost razed Naso to the ground. The stormy sea battered the land. (reference #2130).

1613, August 25. 38o07'N, 14o47'E, magnitude 5.6, earthquake intensity VIII, tsunami intensity 2, tsunami reliability 1. Strong earthquake with epicenter near Naso (Messina, Sicily), involving the whole eastern coast of Sicily. At Naso more than 200 buildings collapsed and 103 people died. Some damage in Messina. At Naso the sea flooded the beach (Incudine, ref #10508). Further references: Mercalli (ref #10483), Tinti (ref #1392), Boschi (ref #10509).(reference #4139)

1613, August 25. A disastrous earthquake occurred at dawn of August 25. 1613 conquassò the city of Naso.

They saw the mountains (from high to crack imo) give water fountains turbid and muddy, and the stormy sea advancing on earth. (reference #3470)

Every runup

Nearest the source first. Heights are above sea level at the time; a tide gauge reads half the wave’s full height.

WhereCountryKm from sourceWater height, mInland, mMeasured byFirst wave, UTCDeaths
Naso, MessinaItaly4Eyewitness observation of water height

More

Every tsunami in 1613The 1600sTsunamis of ItalyThe earthquakeThis 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 3126.