September 21, 1985 Tsunami: Mexico
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7.6 earthquake began at Mexico on September 21, 1985 at 01:37:13 UTC. The water rose as high as 1.2 meters. Its effects were recorded at 3 places in at least 2 countries.
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
- September 21, 1985, 01:37:13 UTC
- Source
- Mexico
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- Magnitude 7.6, 31 km deep
- Maximum water height
- 1.2 m (3.9 ft)
- Runups recorded
- 3
- Tsunami magnitude (Iida)
- 0.3
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Definite tsunami
- Source location
- 17.802° N, 101.647° W
The toll
The record gives no deaths, injuries or damage for this tsunami.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zihuatanejo | Mexico | 15 | 1.2 | 200 | Eyewitness observation of water height | ||
| Acapulco | Mexico | 214 | 1.2 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 21, 01:56 | ||
| Quepos | Costa Rica | 2,104 | 0.07 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) |
More
Every tsunami in 1985The 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 2163.