Tsunamis in 2022

September 19, 2022 Tsunami: Mexico

September 19, 2022 · 0.79 m · 2 deaths · $25 million · 800 houses destroyed · Definite tsunami

A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7.6 earthquake began at Mexico on September 19, 2022 at 18:05:08 UTC. The water rose as high as 0.79 meters. Its effects were recorded at 14 places in at least 5 countries. It killed 2 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
September 19, 2022, 18:05:08 UTC
Source
Mexico
Cause
Earthquake
Maximum water height
0.79 m (2.6 ft)
Runups recorded
14
Warning
Regional Tsunami Warning issued by PTWC for areas without a warning system
Waters
Ocean
How certain
Definite tsunami
Source location
18.455° N, 102.956° W

The toll

Deaths
2 with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
Injuries
10 with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
Damage
$25 million with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
Houses destroyed
800 with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
Houses damaged
6,084 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.

Every runup

Nearest the source first. Heights are above sea level at the time; a tide gauge reads half the wave’s full height.

WhereCountryKm from sourceWater height, mInland, mMeasured byFirst wave, UTCDeaths
Lazaro CardenasMexico1000.32Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)day 19, 18:15
ManzanilloMexico1590.79Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)day 19, 18:26
ZihuatanejoMexico1740.53Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)day 19, 18:36
Puerto VallartaMexico3420.21Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)day 19, 18:10
AcapulcoMexico3700.13Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)day 19, 18:48
Puerto AngelMexico7550.12Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
HuatulcoMexico7880.1Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Wafer Bay, Cocos IslandCosta Rica2,241Eyewitness observation of water heightday 19, 22:02
Death Valley, NV, NVUnited States2,3821.2Other
Baltra IslandEcuador2,5070.07Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Santa Cruz IslandEcuador2,5360.12Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Hilo, Hawaii, HI, HIUnited States5,462Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Kahului, Maui, HI, HIUnited States5,593Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Pago Pago, American Samoa, ASUS Territories8,264Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)

More

Every tsunami in 2022The 2000sTsunamis 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 5859.