History of Tsunamis

Lisbon Earthquake

Nov 1, 1755

This earthquake was an 8.5-9.0 magnitude. The death toll was between 10,000 and 100,000 people. The event accentuated political tension and led to the birth of seismology and earthquake engineering.

Krakatoa Eruption

Aug 26, 1883

The volcano culminated with several destructive eruptions. 70% of the island was destroyed. There was nearly 40,000 recorded deaths from the eruption and tsunami as a whole.

Aleutian Earthquake

Apr 1, 1946

This was a 8.6 magnitude earthquake. This earthquake had 165-173 casualties and over $26 million in damage. The estimated height was from 45-130 ft tall.

Great Chilean Earthquake

May 22, 1960

This is said to be one of the biggest earthquakes in recorded history. The quake was a 9.4-9.6 magnitude. The earthquake was said to have lasted 10 minutes and had waves up to 82ft high. The death toll was uncertain but ranged between 1,000-6,000 and damaged costs of $400 mill-$800 mill.

Good Friday Earthquake

Mar 27, 1964

This earthquake lasted 4 minutes and 38 seconds. It was said to be a 9.2 magnitude and caused a massive land shift. The tsunami on the island killed 23 of its 68 residents. Overall the death toll of the tsunami reached 139 people. The tsunami was noted in over 20 different countries.

Hokkaido Earthquake

Jul 12, 1993

This was a massive earthquake the affected eastern Russia and Japan. It was a magnitude 7.7 with a total death toll of 230. The hardest hit was Okushiri with a death toll of 165 from the earthquake, the tsunami and a massive landslide.

Papua New Guinea Quake

Jul 17, 1998

This earthquake was a magnitude 7.0. The tsunami to follow had a death toll of 2,183 people. The earthquake caused a massive undersea landslide.

Sumatra Earthquake

Dec 26, 2004

This is one of the deadliest natural disasters in recorded history. There was a magnitude 9.1-9.3 earthquake. The massive tsunami that followed killed 230,000 people in 14 countries. The waves were up to 100ft tall.

Samoa Earthquake

Sep 29, 2009

This was the largest earthquake of 2009. The quake had a magnitude of 8.1. There was a death toll of 189 people from the tsunami. The waves were up to 46ft high.

Chili Earthquake

Feb 27, 2010

This earthquake was a magnitude of 8.8. The quake lasted about 3 minutes and was said to be felt by 80% of Chili. There were 525 recorded deaths and 25 missing people.

Tohoku Earthquake

Mar 11, 2011

This was a magnitude 9.0 earthquake that was said to be the biggest earthquake to ever hit Japan. The waves of the tsunami reached 133ft high. Records show 15,894 deaths, 6,152 injured and 2,562 missing people.