Images

deadliest tsunamis of all time

  • Lisbon earthquake-Portugal

    Lisbon earthquake-Portugal

    The magnitude of earthquake was ~8.5-9.0 and the death toll was ~60-100K. The waves reached as far as the Caribbean and many people died when they ran to the waterfront to see the retreating ocean.
  • Krakatoa Eruption (Java/Sumatra)

    Krakatoa Eruption (Java/Sumatra)

    The magnitude of the earthquake was a VEI of 6 and the death toll ~36k. The waves reached 130ft high and the eruption was heard 3000 miles away.
  • Aleutian Earthquake (Alaska)

    Aleutian Earthquake (Alaska)

    The magnitude of the earthquake was a 8.6 and the death toll was 165 people. It triggered a tsunami that hit Hawaii with 55ft waves. This disaster led to the creation of the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.
  • Great Chilean Earthquake (Chile)

    Great Chilean Earthquake (Chile)

    The Magnitude of Earthquake was a 9.5 and the death toll was ~1.6k people. The tsunami crossed the entire Pacific Ocean. It reached Japan, the Philippines, and even the US West Coast.
  • Good Friday Earthquake (Alaska)

    Good Friday Earthquake (Alaska)

    The magnitude of the earthquake was a 9.2 and the death toll was 131 people
  • Hokkaido Earthquake (Japan)

    Hokkaido Earthquake (Japan)

    The magnitude of the earthquake was a 7.8 and the death toll was 202 people. The tsunami waves reached up to the 30ft and it prompted Japan to improve their warning systems.
  • Papua New Guinea Earthquake (Papua New Guinea)

    Papua New Guinea Earthquake (Papua New Guinea)

    The magnitude of earthquake was ~7.0 and the death toll was ~2.1-2.7k people. The tsunami destroyed several villages along the North Coast and many victims were swept away within minutes of the quake.
  • Sumatra Earthquake (Indonesia)

    Sumatra Earthquake (Indonesia)

    The magnitude of the earthquake was ~9.1-9.3 and the death toll was ~230k+. The seafloor rose by more than 10m along a 1300km fault and the event slightly altered Earth's rotation and shortened the length of a day by microseconds.
  • Samoa Earthquake (Samoan Islands)

    Samoa Earthquake (Samoan Islands)

    The magnitude of the earthquake was ~8.0-8.1 and the death toll was ~189 people. The earthquake generated waves up to 11m (36ft) high and the entirety of coastal villages in Somoa, American Somoa, and Tonga were destroyed.
  • Chile Earthquake (Chile)

    Chile Earthquake (Chile)

    The magnitude of the earthquake was ~8.8 and the death toll was ~500-600 people. The earthquake generated tsunami waves that reached as far as Japan ad California. It released about 500 times more energy than the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima.
  • Tohoku Earthquake (Japan)

    Tohoku Earthquake (Japan)

    The magnitude of the earthquake was ~9.0 and the death toll was ~15.8k. Th tsunami reached heights of up to 40m (131ft). It caused the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster.
  • Sulawesi Earthquake

    Sulawesi Earthquake

    Magnitude-7.4, Death toll- 2.1k

    Tsunami waves reached up to 20 feet tall just minutes after the quake occurred. Communication lines and roads were destroyed which delayed rescue attempts.