December 13, 1990 Tsunami: Eastern Sicily, Italy

Name: December 13, 1990 Tsunami: Eastern Sicily, Italy
Start: 1990-12-13
Location: Eastern Sicily, Italy

December 13, 1990 · 19 deaths · $500 million · Definite tsunami

A tsunami caused by a magnitude 5.3 earthquake began at Eastern Sicily, Italy on December 13, 1990 at 00:24:25 UTC. Its effects were recorded at 1 place. It killed 19 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

Tsunami warnings in force

The tsunami

Date: December 13, 1990, 00:24:25 UTC
Source: Eastern Sicily, Italy
Cause: Earthquake
Earthquake: Magnitude 5.3, 11 km deep
Runups recorded: 1
Waters: Ocean
How certain: Definite tsunami
Source location: 37.300° N, 15.438° E

The toll

Deaths: 19 with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
Injuries: 200 with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
Damage: $500 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.

Strong earthquake with epicenter in the sea offshore Augusta followed by a strong aftershock on December, 16. More than 250 localities affected in the provinces of Siracusa, Catania and Ragusa. A total of 18 victims, 12 of which attributable directly to the shock, 300 injured. Most damaged villages are Augusta, Carlentini, Lentini, Melilli, Militello and Priolo Gargallo. At Augusta sailors observed an anomalous wave offshore. In the Augusta district called Contrada Granatello, the road along the coast flooded by the wave (Several Authors, r500). At Catania small submarine slides reported and at Agnone Bagni, close to Augusta, large submarine slides indentified with bathymetric changes as large as 50m. (reference #4139)

Reference #1315 lists max runup of 0.1 m. Unclear where this measurement originated

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
Augusta	Italy	22			Eyewitness observation of water height

Every tsunami in 1990 The 1900s Tsunamis of Italy The earthquake This day in weather history Alerts 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 2197.