October 6, 1947 Tsunami: Peloponnesus, Greece
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7.3 earthquake and a landslide began at Peloponnesus, Greece on October 6, 1947 at 19:55:37 UTC. The water rose as high as 1 meters. Its effects were recorded at 1 place. It killed 3 people, 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
The tsunami
- Date
- October 6, 1947, 19:55:37 UTC
- Source
- Peloponnesus, Greece
- Cause
- Earthquake and landslide
- Earthquake
- Magnitude 7.3, 28 km deep
- Maximum water height
- 1 m (3.3 ft)
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Tsunami intensity (Soloviev-Imamura)
- 2
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Probable tsunami
- Source location
- 36.808° N, 21.916° E
The toll
- Deaths
- 3 with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
- Injuries
- 29 with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
- Damage
- Extreme (about $25 million or more) with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
- Houses destroyed
- 7,800 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.
October 6, 1947, 19:55 UTC, 36.9 N, 22 E, depth 22-28 km, magnitude 6.9-7 MS, tsunami intensity 2. Ionian Sea, Greece. A strong earthquake occurred on the south - western shore of Peloponnesus. Landslides took place within the focal area on the coast and, possibly, on the sea bottom. A landslide in the villages of Christiane and Panyperu carried houses into the sea. Tsunami waves over 1 m high originated. The sea in Methone advanced 15 m deep onto dry land. (reference #2130)
1947, October 6, 19:55:31 UTC. 36.9 N,22 E, magnitude 7.0, intensity IX, tsunami reliability 3. A very strong earthquake affecting the Peloponnesus, particularly the province of Pylia. More than 7,000 buildings were destroyed, 3 person killed and 20 injured. A strong tsunami wave was observed entering 15 m landward at Methoni. It could be caused by a submarine landslide which occurred 6 km south-southwest off the coast (reference #4139)
The earthquake of October 6, 1947 resulted in severe damage, three deaths, and over 20 injuries in the southwestern Peloponnesus Galanopoulos (1949). A tsunami associated with this event inundated Methoni, a coastal town on the Mediterranean Sea, from 15 m to 60 m (Ambraseys and Jackson, 1990; Galanopoulos, 1949). Papadopoulos and Chalkis (1984) report a 15 m inundation at an unnamed location. Soloviev (1990) lists a submarine landslide triggered by the earthquake as the probable tsunami source. (reference #12496)
1947 1006, Pylia, SW Peloponnese, Greece: Large (M=7.0), destructive shock. A local tsunami, that was attributed to an offshore slide, advanced inland 15 min Methorn. (reference #10357)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Methoni, Peloponnesus | Greece | 19 | 15 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1947The 1900sTsunamis of GreeceThe 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 1775.