Mini-tsunamis hit the Costa Blanca: water reached 200 metres inland in Jávea and Gandia

On the morning of 26 August the sea along the Costa Blanca behaved like a bathtub being rocked. Water levels rose and fell by tens of centimetres within minutes, waves pushed up to 200 metres inland in places, and beach bars from Gandia to Jávea flooded. Spain's weather agency AEMET confirmed the cause: a meteotsunami, known locally as a rissaga.

What happened

Between seven and eleven in the morning, tide gauges run by port authority Puertos del Estado recorded abnormal swings along the entire coast. In the port of Gandia the water level went from 34 centimetres above normal to 37 centimetres below it in six minutes: a swing of more than 70 centimetres, faster than any tide. In several places the water pushed up to 200 metres inland. Beach bars and boulevard streets flooded, and residents waded through ankle-deep seawater. No injuries have been reported.

Which places were affected

The swings ran from the Valencia coast deep into Alicante province: Gandia and Cullera in the north, then Dénia, Jávea, Santa Pola, Elche, Torrevieja and Orihuela Costa. The Balearics felt it too: the ports of Andratx and Sóller on Mallorca logged smaller rissagas as early as 24 August, and the port of Ciutadella on Menorca was under a warning for swings of up to 1.2 metres.

What is a meteotsunami?

Unlike a regular tsunami, this phenomenon has nothing to do with an undersea earthquake. According to AEMET, a meteotsunami is driven by rapid changes in air pressure that travel across the Mediterranean with showers and storms. Those pressure waves push the sea surface up and down, and in shallow bays and harbours the effect can stack up into waves that behave like a miniature flood wave. It is rare but not new: the same thing happened along the Alicante coast in 2017.

The situation now

The water pulled back the same morning and the cleanup along the boulevards has been completed. AEMET kept a warning in place for Menorca; no alerts are currently active for the Costa Blanca. Autumn is rough-weather season on this coast though: during showers and storms, keep an eye on the official AEMET warnings and stay away from beaches, harbour walls and rocks when one is issued.

What this means for residents and homeowners

If you own a property close to the sea and water came in, document the damage with photos right away and report it to your insurer. Worth knowing: damage from extraordinary natural events in Spain is handled by the Consorcio de Compensación de Seguros, the public backstop attached to every regular Spanish buildings or contents policy. Your insurer files the claim there for you. Keep receipts for emergency repairs and hold on to damaged items until the assessment.

Boat owners: check your mooring lines and fenders, because the swings were largest inside the harbours. Want to know more about living on this coast, from insurance to preparing for the gota fría? See our Property section.

Sources: The Olive Press, AEMET, Puertos del Estado. Published 28 August 2026.

About the authorMilo Schuijt

Milo Schuijt is an entrepreneur and DJ on the Costa Blanca. He writes about the places where he lives, works and plays: from beach bars to the housing market.