November 16, 1755 Tsunami: Coruna, Spain
A tsunami caused by an earthquake began at Coruna, Spain on November 16, 1755 at 15:30 UTC. 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
- November 16, 1755, 15:30 UTC
- Source
- Coruna, Spain
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- The earthquake
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Questionable tsunami
- Source location
- 43.400° N, 11.000° W
The toll
- Damage
- Limited (under about $1 million) 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.
Sea flux/reflux at La Coruna. Event reliability 2 (questionable tsunami). (ref #4139)
1755 Nov 16, 15:30:00, 43.4 N 11 W, Event reliability: 2. According to Mendonca (1758) “[. . . ] On the 16 November, about half past three there was a big explosion. It was felt in Santiago de Compostella and Coruna, where it caused some damage as well as flux and reflux of the sea [. . . ]”. The catalog of Rodriguez (1932) reports this event quoting Mendonca (1758). Perrey (1847) includes the following description: “The 16th, 3 hours 30 minutes in the afternoon, at Lisbon, the land subsided, and made the same effect as a trying ship; the sea inflated in a prodigious way”. (ref #4649)
1755 Nov 16, 15:30:00, 43.4 N 11 W, Event reliability 2 (questionable tsunami). (ref #12955)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Coruna | Spain | 209 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1755The 1700sTsunamis of SpainThe 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 4284.