October 20, 1850 Tsunami: Livorno, Italy
A tsunami caused by an earthquake began at Livorno, Italy on October 20, 1850. 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
- October 20, 1850
- Source
- Livorno, Italy
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Questionable 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.
"Two very weak shocks were felt near the lighthouse at 15h15m on October 15th which caused a noticeable swinging of the tower. They were also felt in town. A lowering and a rise of the sea level and whirlpools were observed near the lighthouse on October 20 and 21. (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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Livorno | Italy | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1850The 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 2026-10-01. NCEI tsunami event 3357.