Historical tsunamis · May 2, 2020, 12:51 PM UTC
2020 Crete tsunami
Greece
The tsunami of May 2, 2020, 12:51 PM UTC originated near Crete (Greece).
Key facts
- Date
- May 2, 2020, 12:51 PM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Magnitude
- M6.6
- Depth
- 17 km
- Maximum documented water height
- 0.95 m
- Observation records
- 15
- Countries affected
- 2
It was triggered by a magnitude 6.6 earthquake at a depth of 17 km.
The highest documented water height was 0.95 m (Chrisi (Chrysi) North Harbour, Greece).
15 observation sites in 2 countries are recorded.
Map of observation sites
15Each 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 2, 2020, 12:51 PM UTC
- 0:17 hGreece · Ierapetra, Crete · 0.15 m
2 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greece | 14 | 0.95 m Chrisi (Chrysi) North Harbour | — | 0:17 h |
 Egypt | 1 | 0.03 m Alexandria | — | — |
Highest documented water heights
15 / 15Individual 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chrisi (Chrysi) North Harbour | 0.95 m | 77 km | Greece |
| Kastri Harbour, Crete | 0.87 m | 96 km | Greece |
| Avri Harbour, Crete | 0.77 m | 93 km | Greece |
| Chrisi (Chrysi) South Beach | 0.61 m | 76 km | Greece |
| Tsoutsouros West Beach, Crete | 0.56 m | 97 km | Greece |
| Chrisi (Chrysi) Islet | 0.35 m | 77 km | Greece |
| Makry Gialos Beach, Crete | 0.35 m | 98 km | Greece |
| Ierapetra Harbour, Crete | 0.32 m | 91 km | Greece |
| Ierapetra, Crete | 0.25 m | 92 km | Greece |
| Tsoutsouros Harbour, Crete | 0.24 m | 97 km | Greece |
| Ierapetra, Crete | 0.15 m | 91 km | Greece |
| Kassos (Kasos) | 0.05 m | 176 km | Greece |
| Alexandria | 0.03 m | 512 km | Egypt |
| Arvi, Crete | — | 93 km | Greece |
| Kastri, Crete | — | 96 km | Greece |
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.