Event 7. 21 September 1780, Boka Kotorska

On 21 September 1780 a destructive earthquake (VII-VIII MCS) shook the area of Boka Kotorska. It was followed by a tsunami which was described in great detail by an eyewitness of the event, Duke Tripo Smeća: “I went to the shore and saw with my own eyes that the sea went up by one and a half stopa (foot) higher than was before the earthquake. Men from a vessel which was tied to the coast told me that the sea went up to the level where the mark of water on sand could be observed, and then it came with such a violence, that it pulled out the rope which tied the vessel to the coast, and detached the vessel from the coast. Our small boat was somewhat moved from its place and was partly dragged out of water. … When I returned several hours later (to Bijela), I noticed that the further I went, the sea, while it was agitated, advanced more and more inland. At several places, it went vertically up by 2 stopa, at other places by 3 and in other places by 4 stopa; between two torrents… the sea went up by 5 to 6 stopa, wetting the coast by 8 to 9 koračaj (ital. passo, about 1.7 meters), that is up to the vineyards. Therefore I believe that in places where the sea is shallow, at the first shocks the sea must have withdrawn from the coast by 10 to 12 koračaj, because while returning, it reached just as much inland. I noticed in this area … that the coast sank by two yards into the sea, in the length of 50 koračaj.” (manuscript written by Duke Tripo Smeća, published by Kišpatić, 1891-1895.)  I = 4, R = 4.

Kišpatić (1780)