March 17, 1973 Tsunami: Quezon, Philippines
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7.5 earthquake began at Quezon, Philippines on March 17, 1973 at 08:30:51 UTC. The water rose as high as 1.3 meters. Its effects were recorded at 3 places. It killed 15 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
- March 17, 1973, 08:30:51 UTC
- Source
- Quezon, Philippines
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- Magnitude 7.5, 33 km deep
- Maximum water height
- 1.3 m (4.3 ft)
- Runups recorded
- 3
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Definite tsunami
- Source location
- 13.400° N, 122.800° E
The toll
- Deaths
- 15 with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
- Injuries
- 64 with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
- Damage
- $450,000 with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
- Houses destroyed
- 98 with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
- Houses damaged
- 270 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.
The sea at the western end of the sea-wall in Calaug was observed to go beyond the shore by 20 meters. This was due to a rise in sea level of 1.3 meters. Rise in sea level was similarly noticed in the town of Quezon City at the southern tip of Alabat Island. (reference #1187)
Along the western end of the sea wall of Calauag, the sea transgressed the shore by 20 m while the water level rose by about 1.3 m. The sea level rise was also observed in the southern tip of Alabat island (Morante, 1974). Tsunami probability is ranked as “positive”. (reference #10958)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calaug | Philippines | 83 | 1.3 | 20 | Eyewitness observation of water height | ||
| Alabat Island | Philippines | 95 | Eyewitness observation of water height | ||||
| Quezon City | Philippines | 235 | 1.3 | 20 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1973The 1900sTsunamis of PhilippinesThe 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 3226.