May 6, 1773 Tsunami: Tangiers, Morocco
A tsunami caused by an earthquake began at Tangiers, Morocco on May 6, 1773. The water rose as high as 9 meters. Its effects were recorded at 3 places in at least 3 countries.
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
- May 6, 1773
- Source
- Tangiers, Morocco
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- The earthquake
- Maximum water height
- 9 m (29.5 ft)
- Runups recorded
- 3
- Tsunami intensity (Soloviev-Imamura)
- 5
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Questionable tsunami
- Source location
- 35.800° N, 5.830° W
The toll
The record gives no deaths, injuries or damage for this tsunami.
What the record says
NCEI’s account, from the sources it cites.
(Latitude and longitude are approximate.) The earthquake event produced a tsuanmi affecting Algiers, Tangiers, and north coast of Africa.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tangiers | Morocco | 0 | 9 | Eyewitness observation of water height | |||
| Algiers | Algeria | 805 | 2 | Eyewitness observation of water height | |||
| Africa, North Coast | Africa, North Coast | 882 | 2 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1773The 1700sTsunamis of MoroccoThe 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 2767.