Tsunami Records - Lauren Aldrich

Lisbon Earthquake (Portugal)

Nov 1, 1755

This earthquake, with a magnitude of 9, killed around 20,000 people. It occurred in the kingdom of Portugal, and almost totally destroyed the city of Lisbon. The Royal Family escaped unharmed from the catastrophe.

Krakatoa Eruption (Java/Sumatra)

Aug 26, 1883

This earthquake killed up to 36,000 people. After the eruption, it was found that the island of Krakatoa had almost entirely disappeared. The eruption darkened the sky worldwide for years afterwards.

Aleutian Earthquake (Alaska)

Apr 1, 1946

This earthquake, with a magnitude of 8.1, killed roughly 160 people. 48 minutes after the earthquake, an 100 foot tsunami hit the coast. This tsunami eventually reached Hawaii, killing an additional 150 people.

Great Chilean Earthquake (Chile)

May 23, 1960

This earthquake, with a magnitude of 6.1, killing 61 people in 1960. The shaking lasted 10 minutes. Cities like Puerto Montt and Valdivia experienced severe damage. Over 3,000 people were injured.

Good Friday Earthquake (Alaska)

Mar 27, 1964

This earthquake, with a magnitude of 9.2, killed around 130 people. This was the second most powerful recorded earthquake in 1964. Alaska's biggest city, Anchorage, suffered major landslides that destroyed hundreds of homes.

Hokkaido Earthquake (Japan)

Jul 12, 1993

This earthquake, with a magnitude of 7.8, killed around 120 people. Roads became impassible which made rescue teams work even harder. This catastrophe left over 5.3 without power, which negatively effected the farming and fishing industry.

Papua New Guinea Quake (Papua New Guinea)

Jul 17, 1998

This earthquake, with a magnitude of 7.1, killed around 2,100 citizens. An undersea landslide caused a tsunami to hit the coast. Over 10,000 citizens were homeless after the tsunami ruined a multitude of neighborhoods.

Sumatra Earthquake (Indonesia)

Dec 26, 2004

This earthquake, with a magnitude of 9.1, killed around 230,000 people. The series of 30 meter high tsunamis caused by this earthquake became known as the Boxing Day tsunamis. It was the 3rd largest recorded earthquake in history.

Samoa Earthquake (Samoan Islands)

Sep 29, 2009

This earthquake, with a magnitude of 8.1, killed roughly 200 people. This tsunami caused damage in Samoa as well as Tanga. Most of the victims in Samoa were children.

Chile Earthquake (Chile)

Feb 27, 2010

This earthquake, with a magnitude of 8.8, killed about 700 people. The earthquake stuck in the middle of the night and was reported to be the strongest shaking in the region.

Tohoku Earthquake (Japan)

Mar 11, 2011

This earthquake killed 20,000 people and had a magnitude of 9.1. This was the biggest recorded earthquake in the past 100 years. The shaking lasted for 6 minutes straight.

Sulawesi Earthquake (Indonesia)

Sep 27, 2018

This earthquake, with a magnitude of 6.1, killed 1,200 people. Main shock occurred during rush hour traffic on the day of the 30th anniversary of the city of Palu.