December 17, 1798 Tsunami: Aigeus-Mortes, France
A tsunami probably caused by an earthquake began at Aigeus-Mortes, France on December 17, 1798. 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
- December 17, 1798
- Source
- Aigeus-Mortes, France
- Cause
- Questionable earthquake
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Questionable tsunami
- Source location
- 43.566° N, 4.183° E
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.
On the 17th December the sea rapidly rose above its usual level and extended 5 kilometres as far as Algues-Mortes (France). No shock is mentioned but Perrey considers it as an instance of a "terre moto di mare." This reference also notes that on 15 December, an earthquake occurred in Calabria. (Reference #1879)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Algues-Mortes | France | 5 | 5,000 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1798The 1700sTsunamis of FranceThis 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 578.