February 9, 1893 Tsunami: Samothrace, Greece

Name: February 9, 1893 Tsunami: Samothrace, Greece
Start: 1893-02-09
Location: Samothrace, Greece

February 9, 1893 · 1 m · 1 death · Definite tsunami

A tsunami caused by a magnitude 6.5 earthquake began at Samothrace, Greece on February 9, 1893. The water rose as high as 1 meters. Its effects were recorded at 2 places. It killed 1 person, counting the earthquake or eruption that caused it.

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

Tsunami warnings in force

The tsunami

Date: February 9, 1893
Source: Samothrace, Greece
Cause: Earthquake
Earthquake: Magnitude 6.5
Maximum water height: 1 m (3.3 ft)
Runups recorded: 2
Tsunami intensity (Soloviev-Imamura): 3
Waters: Ocean
How certain: Definite tsunami
Source location: 40.500° N, 25.500° E

The toll

Deaths: 1 with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
Injuries: Some (about 51 to 100) with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
Damage: Limited (under about $1 million); Moderate (about $1 to $5 million) with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
Houses destroyed: Few (about 1 to 50); Some (about 51 to 100) with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
Houses damaged: Some (about 51 to 100) 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.

Reference #2130:

1893, February 9 (January 28). Aegean Sea. A destructive earthquake occurred on the Island of Samothraki. A tsunami was generated and appeared on the northern shore of the island and on the nearest Thracian coasts. The water rose by 1 m near Islet Aghistro on the Island of Samothraki (i = 4) and penetrated deep onto the island for 25-30m. The wave in the region of Alewndroupoli on the continent was of approximately the same height and flooded the coast for 40 m.

Reference #4139:

1893, February 9, 18 UTC. 40.5 N, 25.5 E, earthquake magnitude 6.5, intensity IX, tsunami intensity III, validity 4. Extensive damage in Samotraki, were about 10% of houses collapsed and 50% was rended uninhabitable. Rockslides. Felt along the coasts of Trakia and in S.Bulgaria. Strong in Imroz and Alexandropolis (Karnik, r376).

At Agistron the water rose to a height of about 1 m and entered 25-30 m inland. Some animals were killed and two small houses collapsed because of the sea wave (Galanopoulos, r 433) who quotes Christomanos (r496). At Alexandropolis 1 m heigh wave and water ingression for 40 m (Antonopoulos, r417).

On the N coast of Samotraki tsunami intensity III attributed by Antonopoulos (r417).

Reference #13873:

The 9 February 1893 earthquake caused extensive damage on Samothrace and triggered a tsunami on the northern coast of the island and on the nearest coasts of Thrace. On Samothrace, the water rose near Aghistro Islet to a height of about 1 m and inundated for 25–30 m. Some animals were killed by the collapse of two small houses left intact by the shock. On the opposite coast of Alexandroupolis (Dedeagatsch) the wave had about the same height and entered 40 m inland

Reference #14000:

A damaging sea-wave was generated that caused considerable damage in Samothraki and Dedeagac

Reference #9116:

As a result of the earthquake a seismic sea wave flooded the coast of Samothraki and of mainland Thrace. At Angistro the height of the wave was about 1m, but in places it was more, destroying two farm houses that had been left standing. About 15 minutes after the main shock the coast of Dedeagac was also flooded by a wave more than 1m high.

Further references: Papadopoulos (r80), Soloviev (r414), Galanopoulos (r479), Antonopoulos (r573, r392), Ambraseys (r391).

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
Agistron, Samothrace	Greece	0	1	30	Eyewitness observation of water height
Alexandroupolis, Samothrace	Greece	50	1	40	Eyewitness observation of water height

Every tsunami in 1893 The 1800s Tsunamis of Greece The earthquake This day in weather history Alerts 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 1202.