July 30, 1891 Tsunami: N. Mexico
A tsunami probably caused by an earthquake began at N. Mexico on July 30, 1891. 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
- July 30, 1891
- Source
- N. Mexico
- Cause
- Questionable earthquake
- Earthquake
- The earthquake
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Tsunami intensity (Soloviev-Imamura)
- 1
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Very doubtful tsunami
- Source location
- 25.500° N, 103.500° 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.
1891, July 30. Lerdo, Mex., was the center of a very severe earthquake about 6 o'clock a. m. It appears to have caused a tidal wave of considerable height at the head of the Gulf of California. The country is so thinly and poorly settled that no damage was done. The reports of this earthquake are so indefinite and contradictory that we have little reliable information regarding what must have been at least a very widespread disturbance. (reference #2967)
1891, July 30, 6:00 [local time] the region of Ciudad Lerdo (Mexico) was apparently the center of a very strong earthquake. It seems that it caused a tsunami of considerable height at the apex of Golfo de California. Reports about this earthquake are vague and contradictory; not enough reliable information is available about this tremor, which covered a large area. (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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gulf of California | Mexico | 1,196 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1891The 1800sTsunamis of MexicoThe 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 1189.