NOAA / NCEI
Tsunamis in Italy
25 confirmed tsunamis originating in Italy. Highest documented wave: 235.0 m (Vajont Dam, Vajont River, 1963).
Map of observation sites
Tsunami source locations; colour and size show the highest documented water height. Click to open the event.
All documented events
25| Date | Location / station | Magnitude | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Observation records |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 4, 2022 | Stromboli Island | — | 0.75 m | — | 3 |
| Jul 3, 2019, 2:45 PM UTC | Stromboli Island | — | 1.30 m | 1 | 4 |
| Dec 30, 2002, 12:15 PM UTC | Stromboli Island | — | 10.9 m | — | 41 |
| Dec 13, 1990, 12:24 AM UTC | Eastern Sicily | 5.3 | — | 19 | 1 |
| Apr 20, 1988, 5:30 AM UTC | La Fossa Volcano, Vulcano Is. | — | 2.00 m | — | 1 |
| Oct 9, 1963, 9:39 PM UTC | Vajont Dam, Vajont River | — | 235.0 m | 2,000 | 3 |
| February 1954 | Stromboli Island | — | — | — | 5 |
| Oct 30, 1930, 7:13 AM UTC | Central Adriatic | 6.0 | — | 18 | 1 |
| Sep 11, 1930, 9:52 AM UTC | Stromboli Island | — | 2.50 m | 6 | 2 |
| May 22, 1919, 5:45 PM UTC | Stromboli Island | — | 0.75 m | 4 | 5 |
| Aug 16, 1916, 7:06 AM UTC | Central Adriatic | 6.0 | — | 4 | 1 |
| Jul 3, 1916, 11:21 PM UTC | Stromboli Island | 5.1 | 10.0 m | — | 3 |
| Dec 28, 1908, 4:20 AM UTC | Messina Strait, Ionian Sea | 7.0 | 13.0 m | 80,000 | 87 |
| Oct 23, 1907, 8:28 PM UTC | Ionian Calabria | 5.9 | — | 158 | 2 |
| Apr 4, 1906 | Tyrrhenian Sea | — | 0.40 m | 350 | — |
| Sep 8, 1905, 1:43 AM UTC | Tyrrhenian Calabria | 7.1 | 1.30 m | 557 | — |
| Mar 18, 1875, 12:51 AM UTC | Adriatic Sea | — | — | — | 4 |
| Feb 20, 1818, 6:15 PM UTC | Eastern Sicily | 6.0 | — | 72 | — |
| Feb 6, 1783, 12:20 AM UTC | Messina Straits | 5.9 | 16.0 m | 1,500 | 8 |
| Feb 5, 1783, 12:00 PM UTC | Tyrrhenian Calabria | 6.9 | — | 30,000 | 9 |
| Sep 1, 1726, 9:55 PM UTC | Northern Sicily | 5.8 | — | 250 | 1 |
| Jan 11, 1693, 1:30 PM UTC | Island of Sicily | 7.4 | 12.0 m | 54,000 | 10 |
| Apr 14, 1672, 3:45 PM UTC | Central Adriatic | 5.6 | — | 1,500 | 2 |
| Jul 30, 1627, 10:50 AM UTC | Gargano Peninsula | 6.7 | — | 5,000 | — |
| January 1169 | Eastern Sicily | 7.0 | — | 16,000 | 1 |
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.