Historical tsunamis · Feb 28, 1969, 2:40 AM UTC
1969 Portugal tsunami
Portugal
The tsunami of Feb 28, 1969, 2:40 AM UTC originated near Portugal (Portugal).
Key facts
- Date
- Feb 28, 1969, 2:40 AM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Magnitude
- M7.8
- Depth
- 22 km
- Maximum documented water height
- 0.90 m
- Deaths
- 25
- Injuries
- 80
- Houses destroyed
- many (about 101–1,000)
- Damage
- moderate (about US$ 1–5 million)
- Observation records
- 31
- Countries affected
- 6
It was triggered by a magnitude 7.8 earthquake at a depth of 22 km.
The highest documented water height was 0.90 m (Casablanca, Morocco).
31 observation sites in 6 countries are recorded.
Outside the source country, the earliest documented arrival was at Santa Cruz, Tenerife, Canary Is (Spain) after 0:20 h.
The database records 25 deaths.
Houses destroyed: many (about 101–1,000).
Damage is estimated at moderate (about US$ 1–5 million).
Map of observation sites
31Each 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) · Feb 28, 1969, 2:40 AM UTC
- 0:20 hSpain · Santa Cruz, Tenerife, Canary Is · 0.08 m
- 0:38 hPortugal · Lagos
- 0:40 hMorocco · Casablanca · 0.90 m
- 1:12 hUK Territory · Gibraltar
- 2:18 hAzores (Portugal) · Angra do Heroismo, Terceira · 0.70 m
- 3:55 hUnited Kingdom · St. Marys, Scilly Islands, England
21 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Morocco | 1 | 0.90 m Casablanca | — | 0:40 h |
| Azores (Portugal) | 2 | 0.76 m Horta, Ilha de Fayal, Azores | — | 2:18 h |
| Portugal | 10 | 0.70 m Pedroucos | — | 0:38 h |
 Spain | 15 | 0.48 m Chipiona | — | 0:20 h |
 United Kingdom | 2 | — | — | 3:55 h |
| UK Territory | 1 | — | — | 1:12 h |
Highest documented water heights
15 / 31Individual 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Casablanca | 0.90 m | 407 km | Morocco |
| Horta, Ilha de Fayal, Azores | 0.76 m | 1,590 km | Azores (Portugal) |
| Angra do Heroismo, Terceira | 0.70 m | 1,470 km | Azores (Portugal) |
| Pedroucos | 0.70 m | 334 km | Portugal |
| Chipiona | 0.48 m | 413 km | Spain |
| Leixoes | 0.45 m | 606 km | Portugal |
| Bonanza | 0.31 m | 423 km | Spain |
| Faro de Olhao | 0.20 m | 296 km | Portugal |
| Sevilla | 0.20 m | 469 km | Spain |
| Cadiz | 0.15 m | 422 km | Spain |
| Santa Cruz, Tenerife, Canary Is | 0.08 m | 973 km | Spain |
| Algeciras | 0.07 m | 497 km | Spain |
| Ceuta | 0.05 m | 508 km | Spain |
| Tarifa | 0.05 m | 482 km | Spain |
| Arrecife, Lanzarote Island | — | 818 km | Spain |
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.