October 12, 1856 Tsunami: Crete, Greece
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 8.3 earthquake began at Crete, Greece on October 12, 1856 at 00:45 UTC. Its effects were recorded at 1 place. It killed 600 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
- October 12, 1856, 00:45 UTC
- Source
- Crete, Greece
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- Magnitude 8.3
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Tsunami intensity (Soloviev-Imamura)
- 3
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Questionable tsunami
- Source location
- 35.500° N, 26.000° E
The toll
- Deaths
- 600 with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
- Damage
- Severe (about $5 to $25 million) with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
- Houses destroyed
- 8,000 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.
October 12, 1856, Widespread damage in northern Egypt from offshore large magnitude earthquake; sea-wave. (reference #1180)
The earthquake was felt onboard boats sailing off Egypt. In the Eastern Mediterranean and offshore Crete there were reports of an abnormal sea current. However, there is no evidence that the earthquake was associated with a seismic sea wave, except, perhaps in the region of Malta where it is more likely that these were standing waves set up in the closed harbour of the city. Steamers on their voyage from Constantinople to Malta experienced the shocks, during which the machinery of these vessels were completely paralysed. (reference #9116)
Of particular interest is the next account: “... The sea drew back with the first seismic motion and after some months had not returned to its normal place...until April 1857 the sea level was yet the same. The difference was I'A to 2 French feet [c. 50-60 cm]. Did the island uplifted as it happens with some earthquakes? Besides, the fact is that Rhodes Isl. uplifted gradually by 2'A French feet [c. 80 cm] in the last 60 years, whereas the coast of Anatolia to the opposite site of the island subsided.” This description implies that a co-seismic uplift of -0.55 m caused permanent drop of the sea level. (reference #13796)
The 12 October 1856,M = 7.7 Heraklion earthquake generated tsunami in coastal areas of Haifa and Lebanon. (reference #13873)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Coast | Egypt | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1856The 1800sTsunamis of GreeceThe earthquakeThis 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 866.