Most Damaging Tsunamis in the Pacific Basin - Sarah Landsman and Kaity O'Hanlon

  • West Indies

    West Indies
    An earthquake with a magnitude of 9 in Lisbon, Portugal, generated a tsunami that, combined with the earthquake and the fire it triggered, killed approximately 20,000 people in the West Indies.
  • Aleutians Tsunami

    Aleutians Tsunami
    1946 tsunami in Alaska caused by a 8.1 magnitude earthquake that killed about 160 people.
  • Hawaii Tsunami

    Hawaii Tsunami
    9.5 magnitude earthquake in Chile triggered a tsunami in Hawaii that killed 61 people.
  • Alaska and California

    Alaska and California
    Generated by a 9.2 magnitude earthquake in Alaska, this tsunami killed about 130 people in both California and Alaska.
  • Japan

    Japan
    A 9.2 magnitude earthquake in the Sea of Japan led to a tsunami that killed 120 people on Okushiri Island in Japan.
  • Papa New Guinea

    Papa New Guinea
    A 7.1 earthquake triggered a submarine landslide, which then caused a tsunami in Papa New Guinea which killed more than 2100 people.
  • Indonesian Tsunami

    Indonesian Tsunami
    An earthquake in Sumatra with a magnitude of 9.1 caused a tsunami that killed about 230,000 people in Indonesia.
  • Samoa

    Samoa
    An earthquake in Samoa with a magnitude of 8.1 generated a tsunami that killed approximately 200 people.
  • Chile Tsunami

    Chile Tsunami
    An 8.8 magnitude Chili earthquake triggered a tsunami that killed about 700 people in Chile's coastal towns.
  • Japan

    Japan
    A 9.1 earthquake in Japan caused a tsunami that killed over 20,000 people.