April 19, 1955 Tsunami: Volos Gulf, Greece
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 6.2 earthquake began at Volos Gulf, Greece on April 19, 1955 at 16:47:19 UTC. Its effects were recorded at 1 place. It killed 8 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
- April 19, 1955, 16:47:19 UTC
- Source
- Volos Gulf, Greece
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- Magnitude 6.2
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Probable tsunami
- Source location
- 39.400° N, 23.100° E
The toll
- Deaths
- 8 with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
- Injuries
- 149 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
- 459 with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
- Houses damaged
- 8,352 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.
April 19, 1955, 16:47:19 UTC, 39 deg 22 min N, 23 E, magnitude 6.2, intensity VIII. Strong wave in Volos. (reference #2427)
April 19, 1955, 16:47:19 UTC, 39.4 N, 23.1 E, magnitude 6.2 MS. ... The relatively small number
of victims is due to the fact that a slight shock gave
the alarm seven seconds before the main shock; several ships were caught in a tsunami in the harbour at Volos.
(reference #1040)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Volos | Greece | 13 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1955The 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 3393.