May 8, 1933 Tsunami: Mexico
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 6.7 earthquake began at Mexico on May 8, 1933 at 10:33:51 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 8, 1933, 10:33:51 UTC
- Source
- Mexico
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- Magnitude 6.7, 30 km deep
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Probable tsunami
- Source location
- 17.404° N, 100.908° W
The toll
- Damage
- Limited (under about $1 million)
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.
According to the correspondent reporter for El Informador (1933b) “…another tsunami occurred … in Boca de Pascuales… producing damage to the seashore hamlet and blocking the Armeria river mouth,” and affecting the saltworks. Finally, “… sea movement was observed over the Colima, Jalisco and Michoacan coasts….” (reference #13627)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boca DE Pascuales | Mexico | 361 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1933The 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 5900.