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Lisbon Earthquake (Portugal)
This earthquake had a magnitude of 9.0 and triggered a tsunami. An estimated amount of 20,000 people died. Multiple towns were hit and destroyed by this tsunami as well. Many boats were wrecked and fortresses in Algarve were hit as well. The tsunami eventually traveled to Cornwall, United Kingdom, and that took it a little less than four hours to do so (which is pretty impressive since Portugal and Cornwall are 1,000 miles away!). -
Krakatoa Eruption (Java/Sumatra)
This eruption had a Volcanic Explosive Index of 6.0. The tsunami afterward is uncommon as it was not set off by an earthquake but by a volcanic explosion. More than 36,000 people died. The tsunami washed away 165 villages on the coast of Java and Sumatra. Ships were swayed on the waters (from the tsunami) as far as South Africa. A ship named the Gouverneur Generaal London, sailed by Captain Johan Lindemann, went towards the waves of the Tsunami instead of the opposite, ironically saving lives! -
Aleutian Earthquake (Alaska)
This earthquake had a magnitude of 8.1. The following tsunami had a death toll of about 160 people. The tsunami caused small damage to Alaska, yet Unimak Island was deeply hurt, as well as Hawaii. The city of Hilo on the Big Island of Hawaii suffered $300 million in damages alone, as well as 159 deaths. -
Great Chilean Earthquake (Chile)
This earthquake had a magnitude of 9.5. 61 people died from the tsunami afterward. Many civilians took small boats to avoid the earthquake, yet the tsunami arrived about 10 minutes after the earthquake, hurting not just the boats, but the people in them. The damage costs were $24 million after the Hawaiian Islands were hit. Parking meters were bent just by the power of the waves by themselves! Only buildings with reinforced concrete and/or steel survived. -
Good Friday Earthquake (Alaska)
This earthquake had a magnitude of 9.2. About 130 people died from the soon-occurring tsunami. The waves reached about 8 meters in height, and damages resulted in $895 million. Soil liquefaction from this earthquake caused a landslide in Anchorage (many landslides created small tsunamis). A total of 21 tsunamis were created. Though, there was a much higher ratio of small tsunamis than large tsunamis. -
Hokkaido Earthquake (Japan)
This earthquake had a magnitude of 7.8 The tsunami killed 120 people, and is one of the largest in Japan's history. Japan's vegetation was stripped, and overall there was $1.2 billion in damages. Aonae was the hardest-hit city overall. -
Papua New Guinea Earthquake (Papua New Guinea)
This earthquake had a magnitude of 7.1. More than 2,100 people died in the upcoming tsunami. A few people escaped the harsh waves by climbing onto trees or boating in the nearby lagoon. Complete villages were destroyed. The run-up height of the waves was 15 meters. What is interesting about this earthquake is that scientists believe that the tsunami was not at all caused by the earthquake alone, but by a submarine landslide. -
Sumatra Earthquake (Indonesia)
This earthquake had a magnitude of 9.1. About 230,000 people died from the tsunami linked to this earthquake, (which caused the ocean to lift by 40 meters). It is the deadliest tsunami in history. The waves went up to 30 meters in height. Ever since this event, governments all over have completed research to prevent events like this from ever happening again, and prepare in order to save lives from a possible tsunami in the future. -
Sumatra Earthquake (Indonesia) - How it Relates to My Family*
My uncle was stationed in the Diego Garcia British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT). He got hit with it but his island was at an atoll. The energy hit the wall and went around the island. The ships on the pier dropped back 3 feet and went back up to 6 feet, snapping lines. It destroyed the beach. Diego Garcia's highest point was 22 feet. He was very lucky to have survived, not just based on where he was but also since he was in the water the night before. -
Samoa Earthquake (Samoan Islands)
This earthquake had a magnitude of 8.1 and about 200 people died from the tsunami. The waves of the tsunami went up to 22 meters, and it caused $200 million in damage costs. It was triggered by 2 different earthquakes nearby the Tonga Trench, which is a rare occurrence called a "doublet." -
Chile Earthquake (Chile)
This earthquake had a magnitude of 8.8. About 700 people died from the tsunami. The waves went up to 29 meters, yet many lives were saved due to preparation protocols taken, as well as advice given on what to do in a situation with a tsunami. Police and Firemen were prepared to protect, as well as tsunami-proof engineered structures. These actions were taken in place mostly after the disastrous events of the Indonesia Tsunami in 2004. This tsunami had long durations between 1 and 4 hours. -
Tohoku Earthquake (Japan)
This earthquake had a magnitude of 9.1, and the tsunami killed more than 20,000 people. The waves were up to 40 meters in height. 450,000 people became homeless. 3 nuclear plants at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant melted down, releasing toxins that forced people to evacuate the surrounding areas to an even greater extent. -
Sulawesi Earthquake (Indonesia)
This earthquake had a magnitude of 7.5 and more than 2,000 people died by the tsunami. The waves were 3 meters in height, with a run-up height of 10 meters. This event did not include just the earthquake and tsunami, but also landslides and liquefaction, which cause numerous damage. The tsunami damage was more serious in the inner parts of the eastern side of Polu Bay compared to the west due to the land subsiding.