March 24, 1783 Tsunami: Messina Straits, Italy
A tsunami caused by a landslide began at Messina Straits, Italy on March 24, 1783 at 12:00 UTC. Its effects were recorded at 1 place. It killed 1 person.
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
- March 24, 1783, 12:00 UTC
- Source
- Messina Straits, Italy
- Cause
- Landslide
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Probable tsunami
- Source location
- 38.250° N, 15.717° E
The toll
- Deaths
- 1
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.
There is an uncertainty about the year of occurrence, according to Minasi (ref #4119) the rockfall occurred in 1783. According to Minasi (ref #4120) the year of occurrence is 1790. At about 12 a.m. a rockfall of Campallà mountain occurred. A portion of the mountain, eastward, that didn't collapse during the night of 5th February, fell into the sea. A small boat, that was in the vicinity, capsized and one man died (ref #4119).
Reference #11164 lists 1790 as the year with event reliability of 2 (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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Campalla | Italy | 0 | Eyewitness observation of water height | 1 |
More
Every tsunami in 1783The 1700sTsunamis of ItalyThis 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 3690.