Historical tsunamis · Dec 26, 1861, 6:30 AM UTC
1861 Corinth Gulf tsunami
Greece
The tsunami of Dec 26, 1861, 6:30 AM UTC originated near Corinth Gulf (Greece).
Key facts
- Date
- Dec 26, 1861, 6:30 AM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake and landslide
- Magnitude
- M7.3
- Maximum documented water height
- 2.10 m
- Deaths
- few (up to about 50)
- Houses destroyed
- many (about 101–1,000)
- Damage
- moderate (about US$ 1–5 million)
- Observation records
- 5
- Countries affected
- 1
It was triggered by a magnitude 7.3 earthquake.
The highest documented water height was 2.10 m (Itea, Greece).
5 observation sites in 1 countries are recorded.
The database records few (up to about 50) deaths.
Houses destroyed: many (about 101–1,000).
Damage is estimated at moderate (about US$ 1–5 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)
- 0:08 hGreece · Galaxidi
2 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greece | 5 | 2.10 m Itea | — | 0:08 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Itea | 2.10 m | 32 km | Greece |
| Aiyion (Aigio) | 1.80 m | 12 km | Greece |
| Skala (Erateini), Bay of Vitrinitsa | 1.80 m | 18 km | Greece |
| Galaxidi | — | 26 km | Greece |
| Kira (Kirra) | — | 33 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.