Tsunamis, Top Destructive Waves of the Sea

Lisbon Earthquake (Portugal)

Nov 1, 1755

The magnitude of this earthquake was M9 and it killed 20,000 people. It spread North to Britain, South to Africa, and West to the Caribbean and North America. The force of the tsunami knocked over candles, used to illuminate buildings, starting many fires.

Krakatoa Eruption(Java/Sumatra)

Aug 26, 1883

The VEI of this Volcano was 6 and it killed 36,000 people. It is thought that the eruption caused mass displacement of the seawater, leading to the tsunami. The waves of the tsunami got up to about 120ft in height.

Aleutian Earthquake (Alaska)

Apr 1, 1946

This earthquake had a magnitude of M 8.1 and it killed 160 people. The tsunami reached Hawaii around 5 hours after the earthquake. The waves traveled at roughly 490 miles per hour.

Great Chilean Earthquake (Chile)

May 23, 1960

This earthquake had a magnitude of M9.5 and it killed 61 people. This death toll is so low because the foreshocks scared people into running away. This event left around 2 million people homeless.

Good Friday Earthquake (Alaska)

Mar 27, 1964

This earthquake has a magnitude of M9.2 and it killed 130 people. It caused $400 million in property damage. Even if it was the second strongest Earthquake recorder, it produced a bigger Tsunami.

Hokkaido Earthquake (Japan)

Jul 12, 1993

This earthquake has a magnitude of M7.8 and it killed 120 people. The tsunami struck land within 2-5 minutes of starting. It was recorded on many tide gauges around the Japan Sea.

Papua New Guinea Earthquake (Papua New Guinea)

Jul 17, 1998

This earthquake had a magnitude of M7.1 and it killed 2,100. The tsunami wave stretched around 15 miles along the coast. The tsunami came in 3 waves, each striking with great force.

Sumatra Earthquake (Indonesia)

Sep 26, 2004

This earthquake has a magnitude of M9.1 and it killed 230,000 people. This is consider one of deadliest disasters of modern history. It caused flooding up to 3 miles inland.

Samoa Earthquake (Samoan Islands)

Sep 29, 2009

This earthquake had a magnitude of M8.1 and it killed 200 people. Recovering from this disaster was swift and quick due to international aid. It made around 3000 people homeless.

Chile Earthquake (Chile)

Feb 27, 2010

This earthquake had a magnitude of M8.8 and it killed 700 people. This disaster caused &30 billion in damages. The distant wave went 420 miles to the Juan Fernandez Islands.

Tohoku Earthquake (Japan)

Mar 11, 2011

This earthquake had a magnitude of M9.1 and it killed 20,000 people. The tsunami from it traveled at around 500 miles per hour. 2,523 people still remain missing and are presumed dead from this disaster.

Sulawesi Earthquake (Indonesia)

Sep 27, 2018

This earthquake had a magnitude of M7.5 and it killed 4,340 people. 1,016 people in that death toll were never identified. The tsunami wave got to about 20 feet tall.