November 29, 1978 Tsunami: Mexico
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7.8 earthquake began at Mexico on November 29, 1978 at 19:52:47 UTC. The water rose as high as 1.5 meters. Its effects were recorded at 1 place. It killed 9 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
- November 29, 1978, 19:52:47 UTC
- Source
- Mexico
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- Magnitude 7.8, 18 km deep
- Maximum water height
- 1.5 m (4.9 ft)
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Tsunami magnitude (Iida)
- 0.6
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Questionable tsunami
- Source location
- 16.010° N, 96.591° W
The toll
- Deaths
- 9 with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
- Injuries
- Many (about 101 to 1,000) with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
- Damage
- Moderate (about $1 to $5 million) 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 earthquake generated a small tsunami which was not registered by tidal gauges, because there were none operating nearby, but was visually observed. According to the declarations of the keeper of the Puerto Escondido lighthouse, sea water receded around 10 meters, and then advanced toward the main street, without reaching it. The maximum height of the tsunami waves was estimated at approximately 1.5 m. (reference #369)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Puerto Escondido | Mexico | 54 | 1.5 |
More
Every tsunami in 1978The 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 2109.