Most Dangerous Tsunamis

  • The 1755 Lisbon, Portugal

    The 1755 Lisbon, Portugal
    earthquake that produced a tsunami that, along with the earthquake in resulting fire, killed an estimated 20,000 people. tsunami waves that cross the Atlantic ocean amplified to heights of 7 m or more in the West Indies
    Magnitude 9
  • The 1883 violent explosion of Krakatoa volcano in the Sundra Strait

    The 1883 violent explosion of Krakatoa volcano in the Sundra Strait
    located between Java and Sumatra caused the top of the volcano to collapse into the ocean. This sudden collapse produced a giant tsunami more than 35 m high that destroyed 165 villages and killed more than 36 thousand people
  • The 1946 Aleutians earthquake

    The 1946 Aleutians earthquake
    produced a tsunami in the Hawaiian Islands that killed about 160 people
    Magnitude 8.1
  • The 1960 Chile earthquake

    The 1960 Chile earthquake
    triggered a tsunami that killed 61 people in Hawaii after traveling for 15 hours across the Pacific Ocean
    Magnitude 9.5
  • 1964 Alaska earthquake

    1964 Alaska earthquake
    generated a deadly tsunami that killed about 130 people in Alaska and California
    Magnitude 9.2
  • The 1993 earthquake in the Sea of Japan

    The 1993 earthquake in the Sea of Japan
    caused a tsunami that killed 120 people on Okushiri Island, Japan
    Magnitude 7.8
  • The 1998 Papua New Guinea earthquake

    The 1998  Papua New Guinea earthquake
    triggered a submarine landslide that produced a tsunami that killed more than 2100 people
    Magnitude 7.1
  • The 2004 Sumatra earthquake

    The 2004 Sumatra earthquake
    generated a tsunami that killed about 230,000 people
    Magnitude 9.1
  • The 2009 Samoa earthquake

    The 2009 Samoa earthquake
    generated a tsunami that killed about 200 people
    Magnitude 8.1
  • The 2010 Chile earthquake

    The 2010 Chile earthquake
    generated a tsunami that killed about 700 people in coastal towns
    Magnitude 8.8
  • The 2011 Japan earthquake

    The 2011 Japan earthquake
    generated a tsunami that killed over 20,000 people
    Magnitude 9.1