December 8, 1889 Tsunami: Gargano Peninsula, Italy
A tsunami caused by an earthquake began at Gargano Peninsula, Italy on December 8, 1889. 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
- December 8, 1889
- Source
- Gargano Peninsula, Italy
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- The earthquake
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Questionable tsunami
- Source location
- 42.030° N, 15.300° 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.
1889, December 8. Adriatic Sea, Italy. An "extremely extensive" earthquake occurred in Ancona and on the northern shore of the Gargano Peninsula with its focus possibly within the region of the Islands of Tremiti. The captain of a ship moored in Ancona on December 8 reported that the sea in the port was extraordinarily stormy and that its roughness did not correspond to the force of the wind. [Listed as questionable/possible tsunami] (reference #2130)
1889 December 8. Questionable tsunami. [...] After the shock, a ‘strong tsunami’ was reported at the Fortore river mouth by Baratta (1936), and according to Anonymous (1889), the sea was agitated at Termoli and Mattinata (reference #9531)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ancona | Italy | 229 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1889The 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 3465.