April 24, 1836 Tsunami: Rossano, Italy
A tsunami caused by an earthquake began at Rossano, Italy on April 24, 1836 at 16:15 UTC. Its effects were recorded at 3 places. It killed 589 people, counting the earthquake or eruption that caused it.
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
- April 24, 1836, 16:15 UTC
- Source
- Rossano, Italy
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Runups recorded
- 3
- Tsunami intensity (Soloviev-Imamura)
- 4
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Probable tsunami
- Source location
- 39.600° N, 16.600° E
The toll
- Deaths
- 589 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.
"First an underground roar was heard (in Rossano), and then a strong earthquake occurred of a purely wavy character. It's focus was supposedly located between Crosia and Rossano. No buildings was left intact in Crosia, and 25% of the buildings were damaged in Rossano. 589 people were killed. Prolonged and deep fissures appeared in the ground; the earth was settling" (reference #2130).
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corigliano (Calabro) | Italy | Eyewitness observation of water height | |||||
| Rossano | Italy | Eyewitness observation of water height | |||||
| Calopezzati | Italy | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1836The 1800sTsunamis 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 3295.