November 16, 1925 Tsunami: S. Mexico
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7 earthquake began at S. Mexico on November 16, 1925 at 11:54:54 UTC. The water rose as high as 11 meters. 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
- November 16, 1925, 11:54:54 UTC
- Source
- S. Mexico
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- Magnitude 7, 80 km deep
- Maximum water height
- 11 m (36.1 ft)
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Tsunami intensity (Soloviev-Imamura)
- 3
- Tsunami magnitude (Iida)
- 3.5
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Very doubtful tsunami
- Source location
- 18.500° N, 107.000° W
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.
The port of Sihuatanejo (Guerrero State) was partially washed away by a wave, whose height was estimated at 11 m. [Listed as a questionable tsunami](reference #415)
Water height believed to be closer to 6-7 meters. (reference #369)
On November 16, 1925, a tsunami was noted along the entire southwest coast of Mexico, but little is known about it except that it produced a 35-foot wave at Zihuatanejo. (reference #13641)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zihuatanejo | Mexico | 575 | 10 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1925The 1900sTsunamis 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 1560.