February 25, 1732 Tsunami: S. Mexico
A tsunami caused by an earthquake began at S. Mexico on February 25, 1732. The water rose as high as 3 meters. Its effects were recorded at 1 place.
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 25, 1732
- Source
- S. Mexico
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- The earthquake
- Maximum water height
- 3 m (9.8 ft)
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Tsunami intensity (Soloviev-Imamura)
- 1.5
- Tsunami magnitude (Iida)
- 1.6
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Probable tsunami
- Source location
- 16.800° N, 99.900° W
The toll
- 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.
February 25, 1732. At Acapulco there was a very strong earthquake, which destroyed almost all buildings. It was accompanied by unusual flood and ebb tides at sea. The water rose 3 m, flooded the town square, and then, after a brief state of equilibrium, it retreated. Oscillations in level recurred several times. (reference #415)
Origin believed to be near Acalpulco. (reference #369)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acapulco | Mexico | 4 | 3 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1732The 1700sTsunamis of MexicoThe 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 404.