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Valdivia Tsunami
In 1960, the world experienced the strongest earthquake since we began recording such events. On May 22nd, the 9.5 magnitude Great Chilean Earthquake began off the southern coast of central Chile, causing a volcanic eruption and tsunami. Waves up to 82 feet high hit local areas, while a tsunami also sped across the Pacific, with the first wave hitting land at Hilo, Hawaii around 15 hours after the quake began, killing 61 people. Shortly, waves hit the coast of Japan. Altogether about 6,000 dead -
1964 Alaska Tsunami
That Friday was interrupted by a 9.2-magnitude earthquake. The resultant tsunamis devastated the western North American coastline causing the deaths of 121 people. Waves were recorded at heights of up to 100 feet, and a 27-foot tsunami obliterated the tiny Alaskan village of Chenega, killing 23. -
Moro Gulf Tsunami
In the early hours of August 16th, 1976, the small island of Mindanao in the Philippines was struck by an earthquake with a magnitude of at least 7.9. The earthquake caused an enormous tsunami that smashed into over 433 miles of coastline, where inhabitants were unaware of the danger and the need to escape to high ground. Thousands of victims were sucked out to sea. Overall, 5,000 people died, with a further 2,200 reported missing, 9,500 injured and over 90,000 inhabitants left homeless. -
Tumaco Tsunami
Just seconds before 8am on December 12th, 1979, an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.9 began to rumble off Colombia and Ecuador’s Pacific coast. The tsunami that followed swept away six fishing villages and destroyed much of the city of Tumaco, as well as several other Colombian coastal towns. In total, 259 people were confirmed dead, while 798 were injured and 95 were never heard from again. -
Hokkaido Tsunami
80 miles off the coast of Hokkaido, Japan, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake sundered the earth. The Japanese authorities issuined a tsunami warning, but Okushiri Island was beyond help. Soon after the earthquake, the island was hit by gigantic waves which reached a top height of 100 feet. It was too much for the island’s tsunami barriers, and certain areas were struck by a barrage of multiple waves. 197 of the earthquake and tsunami’s 250 casualties were inhabitants of Okushiri. -
Papua New Guinea Tsunami
The 7.0 magnitude earthquake that struck the north coast of Papua New Guinea on the 17th July, 1998 would not normally have been expected to cause such a devastating tsunami. However, the earthquake triggered a large undersea landslide, which in turn generated waves up 49 feet tall and averaging 34 feet in height. When the tsunami hit the coast, it caused at least 2,183 deaths — with a further 500 people missing — and made some 10,000 inhabitants homeless. -
Indian Ocean Tsunami
on Boxing Day 2004, with $14 billion subsequently given in humanitarian aid. The tsunami was the most lethal ever to have occurred, with a death toll that reached a staggering figure of over 230,000, affecting people in 14 countries – with Indonesia the worst hit, followed by Sri Lanka, India and Thailand. The massive undersea earthquake had a magnitude of up to 9.3, and the deadly waves it triggered were up to 98 feet high. -
Java Tsunami
On July 17th, 2006, the seabed near Java, Indonesia was rocked by a 7.7 magnitude earthquake. The 22-foot-high tsunami slammed into the Indonesian coast, including a 100-mile stretch of Java that had been lucky enough to be left unscathed by the 2004 tsunami. Waves penetrated over a mile inland, leveling buildings in places such as the beach resort of Pangandaran. All told, at least 668 people lost their lives, 65 were declared missing, and more than 9,000 others required hospital treatment. -
Samoa Tsunami
In 2009, the Samoan Islands experienced an 8.1 magnitude earthquake just minutes before 7am on the 29th of September. At their highest, the waves from the resulting tsunami were measured at 45 feet, and they traveled up to a mile inland in places, swallowing up villages and causing widespread destruction. Samoa, Tonga and American Samoa recorded 189 casualties, many of them children, but more death was avoided due to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, which gave people time to evacuate. -
Tohuku Tsunami
On March 11th, waves of 33 feet were recorded following a 9.0 magnitude earthquake — though some reports list terrifying heights of up to 133 feet, with waves traveling 6 miles inland — as well as a colossal 97-foot wave that smashed into the coastal city of Ofunato. Some 125,000 buildings were damaged or destroyed, and transport infrastructure also took a heavy beating. The earthquake and tsunami also damaged the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant, causing a meltdown.
