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Lisbon Earthquake
A tsunami caused by an M 9 earthquake that took place in Lisbon, Portugal. The tsunami was caused by an earthquake along the mid-Atlantic plate boundaries where faulting occurred. The tsunami was about 23 feet tall. Because November 1st is All Saints Day, a large amount of people were visiting Lisbon in celebration. The total death toll was estimated at 20,000. -
Krakatoa Eruption
A tsunami was caused by the eruption of the Krakatoa volcano in Indonesia. The tsunami killed an estimated 36,000 people and destroyed 165 villages on Java and Sumatra. The tsunami reached heights of about 120 feet! -
Aleutian Earthquake
A tsunami caused by an earthquake with a magnitude of 58.1 on the Aleutian Islands. The tsunami was Pacific- wide. Wave heights reached an estimated 115 feet in Alaska and averaged 30 feet in Hawaii. This tsunami was the cause of about 160 people. As a result of this disaster, the United States established the Seismic Sea Wave Warning System to provide coastal communities with warnings of approaching tsunamis. -
Great Chilean Earthquake
A tsunami caused by an earthquake with a magnitude of 9.5 traveled about 15 hours across the Pacific before crashing on the coast of Southern Chile. The tsunami was responsible for 61 deaths. -
Good Friday Earthquake
A tsunami caused by an earthquake with a magnitude of 9.2 hit south- central Alaska. The tsunami was responsible for 131 deaths. This earthquake and tsunami is remembered for the devastation left on a day meant to celebrate the crucifixion of Christ. -
Hokkaido Earthquake
A tsunami caused by an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.8 hit the coastlines of Hokkaido Island. The tsunami is responsible for 120 deaths. Although the Japan Meteorological Agency issued a regional tsunami warning, there was not enough time to warn coastal residents. This was due to the proximity of the tsunami to the source of the coastline. -
Papua New Guinea Quake
A tsunami was caused by a submarine landslide which was triggered by an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.1 hit the coast of Papua New Guinea. The tsunami caused about 2100 deaths. The tsunami raised awareness among scientists of the potential for small earthquakes to trigger large tsunamis, if they cause undersea landslides. -
Sumatra Earthquake
A tsunami was caused by an earthquake with a magnitude of 9.1. It struck the coast of Sumatra Island. The tsunami is responsible for an estimated 230,000 deaths. Since the 2004 tsunami, governments and aid groups have prioritized disaster risk reduction and preparedness. Only three weeks after the tsunami, representatives of 168 nations agreed to the Hyogo Framework for Action, which paved the way for global cooperation for disaster risk reduction. -
Samoa Earthquake
A tsunami was caused by a submarine earthquake with a magnitude of 8.1. The earthquake generated tsunami waves of up to 22 meters (72 feet) that engulfed the shores, killing at least 192 people; 149 in Samoa, 34 in American Samoa, and 9 in Niuatoputapu, Tonga. With over 30 deaths in the U.S. territory of American Samoa, the 2009 event caused the largest number of deaths in America due to a tsunami in the 21st Century. -
Chile Earthquake
A tsunami hit the coast of Chile due to an earthquake with a magnitude of 8.8. The tsunami was responsible for about 700 casualties. The initial event was succeeded in the following weeks by hundreds of aftershocks, many of them of magnitude 5.0 or greater. -
Tohoku Earthquake
A tsunami struck the coast of Japan which was caused by an earthquake with a magnitude of 9.1. The tsunami was responsible for an estimated 20,000 deaths. As the floodwaters retreated back to the sea, they carried with them enormous quantities of debris, as well as thousands of victims caught in the deluge. Large stretches of land were left submerged under seawater, particularly in lower-lying areas.
