March 18, 1875 Tsunami: Adriatic Sea, Italy
A tsunami caused by an earthquake began at Adriatic Sea, Italy on March 18, 1875 at 00:51 UTC. Its effects were recorded at 4 places.
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 18, 1875, 00:51 UTC
- Source
- Adriatic Sea, Italy
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- The earthquake
- Runups recorded
- 4
- Tsunami intensity (Soloviev-Imamura)
- 4
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Definite tsunami
- Source location
- 44.200° N, 12.400° E
The toll
- Damage
- Moderate (about $1 to $5 million) 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.
1875, March 18, 00h51m. Adriatic Sea, Italy. A destructive earthquake occurred in Cesenatico, Rimini, Cervia and Senigallia. The sea receded from the coast to an insignificant distance, and then flooded it. The tsunami waves were observed from Cervia to Rimini. (reference #2130)
1875, March 17. The western Adriatic coast was struck by a major earthquake (VIII MCS) on 17 March 1875, with the epicentre located on the coast close to Rimini (CPTI 2004). After the shock, tsunami effects were noted in several locations (Serpieri 1876, 1878, 1889) (Fig. 7): At Cervia, the sea violently flooded a large stretch of beach, and a remarkable increase in wave motion was observed in the harbours of Cesenatico, Cervia and Pesaro. At Ancona, an eyewitness on the beach noted sudden waves coming from the sea that was previously calm (L’Arena 1875). (reference #9531)
1875, March 17, 23:51. At Rimini many fishermen that were in the sea felt the shock (Guidoboni et al., 2018). At Cervia the sea violently flooded a large stretch of beach (Serpieri, 1876). In the canal at the harbor of Cesenatico a remarkable increase in wave motion was observed (Serpieri 1876). An increase in wave motion was also observed at Pesaro and an increase in the harbour was observed (Serpieri, 1876). At Ancona an eyewitness on the beach noted sudden waves coming from the sea that was previously calm (L'Arena 1875). (reference #11164)
1875, March 18, 44.12 N 12.24 E (reference #3470)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cesenatico | Italy | 1 | Eyewitness observation of water height | ||||
| Cervia | Italy | 8 | Eyewitness observation of water height | ||||
| Pesaro | Italy | 52 | Eyewitness observation of water height | ||||
| Ancona | Italy | 110 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1875The 1800sTsunamis of ItalyThe 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 3453.