September 24, 1774 Tsunami: Mediterranean Sea
A tsunami of unknown cause began at Mediterranean Sea on September 24, 1774. The water rose as high as 0.6 meters. Its effects were recorded at 2 places in at least 2 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
- September 24, 1774
- Source
- Mediterranean Sea
- Cause
- Unknown
- Maximum water height
- 0.6 m (2.0 ft)
- Runups recorded
- 2
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Very doubtful tsunami
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.
Western coastal area of the Mediterranean Sea (reference #2130).
On the 24th of this month the sea ebbed and flowed three times in an hour to the extent of 2 feet in perpendicular height, both at Malaga and Leghorn. No earthquake shock mentioned. (reference #496)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Malaga | Spain | 0.6 | Eyewitness observation of water height | ||||
| Livorno | Italy | 0.6 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1774The 1700sThis 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 3190.