March 21, 1969 Eruption of Didicas
Didicas in the Philippines erupted on March 21, 1969 with a Volcanic Explosivity Index of 2. The eruption killed 3 people, counting its secondary effects. It caused a tsunami.
Where it erupted
Didicas, Philippines, with its other significant eruptions.
The eruption
- Date
- March 21, 1969
- Volcano
- Didicas, compound volcano
- Country
- Philippines
- Volcanic Explosivity Index
- 2, moderate (eruption column 1 to 5 km)
- Killed by
- Waves or tsunami
- Tsunami
- Yes: the tsunami it caused
- Location
- 19.077° N, 122.202° E
The toll
- Deaths
- 3 with the tsunamis, mudflows and other effects it caused
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.
1960, March 26. 3 drowned while fishing; tsunami generated by a submarine explosion at Didicas, 70 km away. (reference #9675)
Three fishermen were killed during the 1969 eruption, but the cause of their death is unknown(tsunami or pyroclastic surge?). (reference #10848)
More
Every eruption in 1969The 1900sDidicasEarthquakes near DidicasThis day in weather history
Sources
Volcanoes and significant eruptions 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. Volcano numbers are the Smithsonian Institution’s Global Volcanism Program’s. NCEI event 777.