Tsunamis in Greece
A total of 25 tidal waves classified as a tsunami since 142 have killed 5,010 people in Greece. Compared to other countries, Tsunamis therefore occur more often than average, but still moderate.The strongest tidal wave registered in Greece so far reached a height of 30 meters. On 09/29/1650, no losses of human lifes have been registered by this tsunami.
The biggest impact in terms of lifes, injuries, destroyed homes and the economy had been a tsunami on 05/14/1748.
Other natural hazards in Greece:
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Tsunamis are caused by earthquakes or other seismic eruptions on ground of an oceans and can cause massive tidal waves, which run with enormous force on land, causing great devastation. Especially in regions with only few tsunamis, the damage is often drastic, as the population does not expect tsunamis and thus hardly takes any protective measures. Even relatively small flood waves can lead to high losses and financial damage.
The marked positions on the map represent the most affected regions within the past 1,900 years.
The marked positions on the map represent the most affected regions within the past 1,900 years.
The largest tsunamis in Greece since 142 AD.
| Date | Cause | Max. tidal wave | Fatalities | Total damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10/30/2020 | Earthquakes in Turkey (Aegean Sea) with a magnitude of 7.0. | 3.4 m | 0 | |
| 07/20/2017 | Earthquakes in Turkey (Gulf Of G?kova) with a magnitude of 6.6. | 1.5 m | 0 | |
| 03/24/2002 | Eruption in Greece (Dodecanese Islands) | 4 m | 0 | |
| 06/15/1995 | Earthquake, landslide in Greece (Gulf Of Corinth: Aiyion) with a magnitude of 6.5. | 1 m | 0 | |
| 02/07/1963 | Landslide in Greece (Corinth Gulf) | 6 m | 2 | |
| 07/09/1956 | Earthquakes in Greece (Cyclades) with a magnitude of 7.8. | 20 m | 3 | |
| 07/09/1956 | Earthquakes in Greece (Amorgos Island, Aegean Islands) with a magnitude of 6.8. | 10 m | 0 | |
| 04/22/1948 | Earthquakes in Greece (Ionian Sea) with a magnitude of 6.5. | 1 m | 0 | |
| 02/09/1948 | Earthquakes in Greece (Dodecanese, Karpathos Is.) with a magnitude of 7.1. | 7.3 m | 0 | |
| 08/07/1915 | Earthquakes in Greece (Ionian Sea) with a magnitude of 6.7. | 1.5 m | 0 | |
| 11/08/1905 | Earthquake, landslide in Greece (North Aegean Sea) with a magnitude of 7.2. | 3 m | 5 | |
| 04/27/1894 | Earthquake, landslide in Greece (North Evoikos Gulf) with a magnitude of 7.0. | 3 m | 0 | |
| 02/09/1893 | Earthquakes in Greece (Samothrace) with a magnitude of 6.5. | 1 m | 0 | |
| 09/20/1867 | Earthquakes in Greece (Peloponnesus, Greece) with a magnitude of 7.1. | 6 m | 0 | |
| 02/06/1866 | Earthquakes in Greece (S. Coasts Peloponnesus, Greece) with a magnitude of 6.0. | 8.6 m | 0 | |
| 12/26/1861 | Earthquake, landslide in Greece (Corinth Gulf) with a magnitude of 7.3. | 2.1 m | 0 | |
| 01/06/1821 | Earthquakes in Greece (Ionian Sea) with a magnitude of 6.5. | 0 m | 0 | |
| 05/14/1748 | Earthquakes in Greece (Corinthos-Patras Gulf) with a magnitude of 6.8. | 0 m | 0 | |
| 09/29/1650 | Volcano, landslide in Greece (Thera Island (Santorini)) with a magnitude of 6.3. | 30 m | 0 | |
| 11/05/1633 | Earthquakes in Greece (Island Of Zakynthos) with a magnitude of 6.9. | 0 m | 0 | |
| 07/01/1494 | Earthquakes in Greece (Island Of Crete) with a magnitude of 7.2. | 0 m | 0 | |
| 05/03/1481 | Earthquakes in Greece (Island Of Rhodes) with a magnitude of 7.1. | 3 m | 0 | |
| 08/08/1303 | Earthquakes in Greece (Aegean Sea) with a magnitude of 8.0. The tsunami also reached Egypt, Israel. | 0 m | 0 | |
| 07/21/365 | Earthquakes in Greece (Crete) with a magnitude of 8.0. The tsunami also reached Egypt, Spain, Turkey. | 0 m | 5,000 | |
| 01/01/142 | Earthquakes in Greece (Dodecanese Islands) with a magnitude of 7.0. | 0 m | 0 |
These evaluations are based on data from the Global Historical Tsunami Database of the National Geophysical Data Center, NOAA, and World Data Service (NGDC/WDS), doi:10.7289/V5PN93H7. Individual data have been summarized or translated.
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