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Libson, Portugal
After a colossal earthquake destroyed Lisbon, Portugal and rocked much of Europe, people took refuge by boat. A tsunami ensued, as did great fires. Altogether, the event killed more than 60,000 people (8.5-9.0 Magnitude) -
Krakatoa volcano
Eruptions from the Krakatoa volcano fueled a tsunami that drowned 36,000 people in the Indonesian Islands of western Java and southern Sumatra. The strength of the waves pushed coral blocks as large as 600 tons onto the shore -
Japan East Coast
Waves as high as 100 feet (30 meters), spawned by an earthquake, swept the east coast of Japan. Some 27,000 people died (8.0 magnitude) -
April Fools Tsunami
The April Fools tsunami, triggered by an earthquake in Alaska, killed 159 people, mostly in Hawaii (8.6 magnitude) -
Largest Tsunami In History
Regarded as the largest recorded in modern times, the tsunami in Lituya Bay, Alaska was caused by a landslide. Waves reached a height of 1,720 feet (576 meters) in the bay, but because the area is relatively isolated and in a unique geologic setting the tsunami did not cause much damage elsewhere. It sank a single boat, killing two fishermen (8.3 magnitude) -
Largest Earthquake In History
The largest recorded earthquake created a tsunami that hit the Chilean coast within 15 minutes. The surge, up to 75 feet (25 meters) high, killed an estimated 1,500 people in Chile and Hawaii (8.6 magnitude) -
Good Friday Earthquake
The Alaskan Good Friday earthquake spawned a 201-foot (67-meter) tsunami in the Valdez Inlet. It traveled at over 400 mph, killing more than 120 people. Ten of the deaths occurred in Crescent City, in northern California, which saw waves as high as 20 feet (8.4 magnitude) -
Philippines Tsunami
A tsunami in the southwest Philippines killed 8,000 on the heels of an earthquake (8.0 magnitude) -
Sea Of Japan
The 1993 southwest-off Hokkaido earthquake occurred in the Sea of Japan near the island of Hokkaido. It triggered a major tsunami that caused deaths on Hokkaidō and in southeastern Russia, with a total of 230 fatalities recorded. The island of Okushiri was hardest hit, with 165 casualties from the earthquake, the tsunami and a large landslide (7.7 magnitude) -
Papua New Guinea Tsunami
An earthquake generated a tsunami in Papua New Guinea that quickly killed 2,200 (7.1 magnitude) -
Sumatra-Andaman Earthquake
A colossal earthquake shook Indonesia and killed an estimated 230,000 people, most due to the tsunami and the lack of aid afterward, coupled with deviating and unsanitary conditions. The tsunami has become known as the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Those waves traveled the globe – as far as Nova Scotia and Peru (9.1 magnitude) -
Samoa Earthquake
The 2009 Samoa earthquake and tsunami took place in the southern Pacific Ocean adjacent to the Kermadec-Tonga subduction zone. The submarine earthquake occurred in an extensional environment and at least 189 fatalities (8.1 magnitude) -
Maule Earthquake
An intense earthquake with an epicenter located in the region of Maule, Chile, was felt across the country. Affecting more than 12 million people, the earthquake was the largest seismic occurrence felt within the region after 50 years. Over 520 fatalities were reported in the aftermath of the disaster, many as a result of deadly tsunamis and landslides that occurred as secondary effects of the mainshock (8.8 magnitude) -
Infamous Japan Tsunami
An earthquake struck off the northeast coast of Honshu on the Japan Trench. A tsunami that was generated by the earthquake arrived at the coast within 30 minutes, overtopping seawalls and disabling three nuclear reactors within days. The 2011 Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami event, often referred to as the Great East Japan earthquake and tsunami, resulted in over 18,000 dead, including several thousand victims who were never recovered (9.0-9.1 magnitude)