May 3, 1928 Tsunami: Western Turkey
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 4.3 earthquake began at Western Turkey on May 3, 1928 at 01:25:13 UTC. 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
- May 3, 1928, 01:25:13 UTC
- Source
- Western Turkey
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- Magnitude 4.3
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Tsunami intensity (Soloviev-Imamura)
- 2
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Questionable tsunami
- Source location
- 40.800° N, 26.800° E
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.
May 3, 1928, Greece. Press dispatches state that six earthquakes were felt in the Grecian peninsula on the morning of May 3rd; two of them were strong, causing the collapse of several houses which were still standing among the ruins of Corinth. No new casualties were reported. A tidal wave at Struma, in eastern Greece, did no new damage. (reference #4094)
NOTE: Karnik (1969), reference #1004, lists two earthquakes in Turkey on May 2 and 3, 1928. The earthquake on May 2 is located at 39.7 N, 29.3 E, approximately 100 km from the Mediterranean Sea; the earthquake on May 3 is located at 40.8 N, 26.8 E, approximately 20 km from the sea. All references list the tsunami as occurring in the Strymonic Gulf at approximately 40.7 N, 23.8 E. Although neither of the Turkish earthquakes may be the tsunami source, May 3, 01:25:13 UTC, at 40.8 N, 26.8 E was chosen as the source for this tsunami event. The
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strymonik Gulf | Greece | 251 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1928The 1900sTsunamis of TurkeyThe 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 1600.