February 23, 2020 Tsunami: Ubatuba, Sao Paulo, Brazil
A tsunami of meteorological origin began at Ubatuba, Sao Paulo, Brazil on February 23, 2020. Its effects were recorded at 1 place.
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
- February 23, 2020
- Source
- Ubatuba, Sao Paulo, Brazil
- Cause
- Meteorological
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Probable tsunami
The toll
- Damage
- Limited (under about $1 million); 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.
Reference #13945:
Although the tsunami-like waves of this event were not comparably high, they were superimposed to an important storm surge, causing a cumulative hazardous event and considerable material losses. Moreover, they occurred during the carnival holidays, when beaches were crowded, creating dangerous situations. Fortunately, no deaths or serious injuries were reported.
This storm surge was generated by an intense subtropical cyclone that passed over the region in the previous days.
Photographs […] illustrate hazardous effects of the waves impacting the beach; the images were extracted from an Internet video. The wave trough caused a long and evident retreat of the sea level, while the wave crest initiated the beach inundation up to the sea wall.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ubatuba | Brazil | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) |
More
Every tsunami in 2020The 2000sTsunamis of BrazilThis 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 5986.