October 25, 2018 Tsunami: Ionian Sea, Greece
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 6.8 earthquake began at Ionian Sea, Greece on October 25, 2018 at 22:54:52 UTC. The water rose as high as 1.5 meters. Its effects were recorded at 12 places in at least 3 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
- October 25, 2018, 22:54:52 UTC
- Source
- Ionian Sea, Greece
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- Magnitude 6.8, 14 km deep
- Maximum water height
- 1.5 m (4.9 ft)
- Runups recorded
- 12
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Definite tsunami
- Source location
- 37.520° N, 20.557° E
The toll
- Injuries
- 3 with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
- Damage
- Moderate (about $1 to $5 million) with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
- Houses damaged
- 120 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.
a local tsunami generated on Zante. (reference #13456)
The EMSC European quake agency said sea levels had risen slightly, by about 20 cm (7.87 inches), but the increase could be higher locally. It later tweeted sea level changes were also observed in Italy. (reference #12270)
Tsunami alert messages, based on the earthquake parameters, were issued within ten minutes after the event by both the Italian and the Greek Tsunami Service Providers. The earthquake generated a small tsunami recorded by some tide-gauges, including those of Katakolo and Kyparissia in Greece and Crotone and Le Castella in Italy. (reference #12664)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Porto Vromi, Zakynthos (Zakinthos) | Greece | 34 | 1.5 | Eyewitness observation of water height | |||
| Katakolo | Greece | 69 | 0.11 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Kyparissia (Peloponnese) | Greece | 102 | 0.09 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Salento, Lecce | Italy | 329 | 0.5 | Eyewitness observation of water height | |||
| Otranto | Italy | 342 | 0.04 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 25, 23:36 | ||
| Le Castella | Italy | 345 | 0.06 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 25, 23:50 | ||
| Crotone | Italy | 345 | 0.09 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 25, 23:56 | ||
| Reggio Calabria | Italy | 437 | 0.05 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Messina, Sicily | Italy | 445 | 0.04 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Catania, Sicily | Italy | 482 | 0.02 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 26, 00:39 | ||
| Portomaso | Malta | 570 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | ||||
| Lampedusa | Italy | 747 | 0.02 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 26, 01:54 |
More
Every tsunami in 2018The 2000sTsunamis 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 5690.