Tsunamis in 1883

June 27, 1883 Tsunami: Ionian Islands, Greece

June 27, 1883 · Probable tsunami

A tsunami caused by an earthquake began at Ionian Islands, Greece on June 27, 1883 at 10:00 UTC.

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

Tsunami warnings in force

The tsunami

Date
June 27, 1883, 10:00 UTC
Source
Ionian Islands, Greece
Cause
Earthquake
Runups recorded
0
Tsunami intensity (Soloviev-Imamura)
3
Waters
Ocean
How certain
Probable tsunami
Source location
39.500° N, 20.000° E

The toll

Damage
Limited (under about $1 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.

1883 June 27, 39.5 N 20 E, probable tsunami (reference #11164, v.2)

1883, Juni 27. - Ionian Islands (Corfou), 39°1/2N, 20°E. A sudden withdrawal of the sea near the coast of St. Georges (Rhoda) on Corfou Island left over three row-boats. The shock associated was damaging at Ano Garouna (reference #109)

1883, June 27. Three rowing boats were thrown by the movement of the sea onto the coast of the Island of Kerkyra. A sudden retreat of the sea was noted near the other shore. (reference #2130)

Abnormal fluctuation of the sea level persisting for some time was reported from the northern coast of the island near Roda (PNF 1883, 171,174,205; Galanopoulos 1953, 126-128). (reference #9116)

More

Every tsunami in 1883The 1800sTsunamis of GreeceThis 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 1139.