Historical tsunamis · May 22, 1919, 5:45 PM UTC
1919 Stromboli Island tsunami
Italy
The tsunami of May 22, 1919, 5:45 PM UTC originated near Stromboli Island (Italy).
Key facts
- Date
- May 22, 1919, 5:45 PM UTC
- Cause
- Volcanic eruption
- Maximum documented water height
- 0.75 m
- Deaths
- 4
- Injuries
- many (about 101–1,000)
- Houses destroyed
- 10
- Damage
- limited (under US$ 1 million)
- Observation records
- 5
- Countries affected
- 1
Cause according to NOAA/NCEI: Volcanic eruption.
The highest documented water height was 0.75 m (Messina, Sicily, Italy).
5 observation sites in 1 countries are recorded.
The database records 4 deaths.
Houses destroyed: 10.
Damage is estimated at limited (under US$ 1 million).
Map of observation sites
5Each dot is a documented observation site; colour and size show the observed water height. The triangle marks the source.
Tsunami arrival times
Documented arrival times from the NOAA/NCEI database, showing the earliest recorded location per country. Coverage is incomplete: a country without an entry was not necessarily spared.
- 0:00 hEarthquake (origin) · May 22, 1919, 5:45 PM UTC
- 0:15 hItaly · Messina, Sicily · 0.75 m
1 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Italy | 5 | 0.75 m Messina, Sicily | — | 0:15 h |
Highest documented water heights
5 / 5Individual documented observations for this event. Heights come from different measurement types and sources; not every location has a measured height.
| Location / station | Observed height | Distance from source | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| Messina, Sicily · Sicily | 0.75 m | 72 km | Italy |
| Faro Lighthouse, Messina, Sicily · Sicily | 0.01 m | 69 km | Italy |
| Marina Piccola, Island of Capri | — | 212 km | Italy |
| Punta Labronzo, Stromboli Island | — | 2 km | Italy |
| Ustica | — | 176 km | Italy |
More tsunamis
Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), Global Historical Tsunami Database. Confirmed events only. Deaths and damage are database estimates; older records are incomplete. Water heights come from different types of observation.