April 14, 1672 Tsunami: Central Adriatic, Italy

Name: April 14, 1672 Tsunami: Central Adriatic, Italy
Start: 1672-04-14
Location: Central Adriatic, Italy

April 14, 1672 · 1,500 deaths · Definite tsunami

A tsunami caused by a magnitude 5.6 earthquake began at Central Adriatic, Italy on April 14, 1672 at 15:45 UTC. Its effects were recorded at 2 places. It killed 1,500 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: April 14, 1672, 15:45 UTC
Source: Central Adriatic, Italy
Cause: Earthquake
Earthquake: Magnitude 5.6
Runups recorded: 2
Tsunami intensity (Soloviev-Imamura): 3
Waters: Ocean
How certain: Definite tsunami
Source location: 43.933° N, 12.583° E

The toll

Deaths: 1,500 with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
Damage: 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.

1672, April 14, between 21h and 22h. Adriatic Sea, eastern Italy. 44 N, 12.75 E, earthquake intensity IX, tsunami intensity 3. The earthquake took place in Rimini. The sea receded, and then, frothing, flooded coasts for approximately 20 yards. It was also reported that Malamocco was subjected to tsunami. (reference #2130).

1672, April 14. As a result of the Rimini earthquake the sea withdrew and inundated the shore for some distance. (reference #3470)

1672, April 14, 15:45 UTC. Central Adriatric, 43o56'N, 12o35'E, earthquake magnitude 5.6, intensity VIII, tsunami reliability 4. Sea withdrawal-flooding at Rimini. (reference #4139)

A coeval manuscript (Anonymous 1672) gives a detailed description of a light tsunami: At Rimini, eyewitnesses observed a sea withdrawal followed by an inundation of the shore for about 15 m. Anonymous (1888) reports the same description and also relates that some fishermen that were at sea close to the Rimini coast observed an unusually strong sea agitation (Fig. 4). (reference #9531)

Reference #9275 lists this event as being the same as the 14 February 1672 event, which the reference lists as a questionable tsunami.

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
Rimini	Italy	14		15	Eyewitness observation of water height
Malamocco	Italy	161			Eyewitness observation of water height

Every tsunami in 1672 The 1600s Tsunamis of Italy The earthquake This day in weather history Alerts 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 3136.