December 4, 1854 Tsunami: S. Mexico
A tsunami of unknown cause began at S. Mexico on December 4, 1854.
Where the waves reached
The source of the tsunami. No runup with a place is recorded for it.
- 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 4, 1854
- Source
- S. Mexico
- Cause
- Unknown
- Runups recorded
- 0
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Very doubtful tsunami
- Source location
- 16.800° N, 99.200° W
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.
December 4, 1854. Questionable tsunami observation Acapulco, Mexico, source area unknown. "When Acapulco was destroyed the sea . . . returned as gently as it went out," (Milne, 1908). Unclear whether destruction by quake or wave. Neither quake nor tsunami mentioned this date by Milne's catalog (1912) although an Acapulco quake is mentioned under 1854 May 5. If there was a tsunami this date, which is uncertain, it may possibly have been a distant one. (reference #79)
December 4, 1854. Acapulco questionable tsunami. There is doubt about this tsunami because no other report mentions an earthquake on this dare. (reference #472)
More
Every tsunami in 1854The 1800sTsunamis of MexicoThis 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 834.