March 17, 1860 Tsunami: S. Mexico
A tsunami of unknown cause began at S. Mexico on March 17, 1860. 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
- March 17, 1860
- Source
- S. Mexico
- Cause
- Unknown
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Very doubtful tsunami
- Source location
- 16.700° 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.
March 17, 1860, about 9:00 [local time], tsunami event validity questionable. A loud explosion, like a cannon shot, was heard at Acapulco. It was caused by a heavy eruption of one of the volcanoes situated in the direction of Mexico City. At the same time or a little earlier, Commodore Watkins, the captain of the "Golden Age", saw three enormous waves approaching the ship (the rest of the sea was altogether calm). The waves reached the ship and surrounded it in a semicircle, after which they disappeared, leaving the sea as calm as it had been before. (reference #415)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acapulco | Mexico | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1860The 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 898.