August 9, 1953 Tsunami: Ithaki Island, Greece
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 6.3 earthquake began at Ithaki Island, Greece on August 9, 1953 at 07:41:10 UTC. Its effects were recorded at 2 places.
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
- August 9, 1953, 07:41:10 UTC
- Source
- Ithaki Island, Greece
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- Magnitude 6.3, 15 km deep
- Runups recorded
- 2
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Probable tsunami
- Source location
- 38.216° N, 20.830° E
The toll
- Damage
- Extreme (about $25 million or more) 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.
An eminent writer, being in Cephalonia Isl. at the time, experienced the three earthquakes herself. In her book, among other information, she also included a short tsunami account communicated by a local man who experienced the first strong earthquake of Mw6.29 in Vathy, the main town of the nearby Ithaki Isl.: “All houses fell…A huge wave rose up, engulfed the moor and broke the sails from the boasts in the harbor” (reference #13999)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vathi, Ithaki | Greece | 19 | Eyewitness observation of water height | ||||
| Platis Gialo, Cephalonia Isl doubtful | Greece | 31 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1953The 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 6015.