Deadly Tsunamis-Michael McBride

Portugal Earthquake

1775

Location- Lisbon, Portugal
Date- 1775
Magnitude- 9
Death toll- 20,000 The epicenter of the earthquake was an estimated 120 miles west-southwest of Cape St. Vincent. The earthquake generated a wave 20ft high. Because of the earthquake and the tsunami that followed soon after, the countries colonial ambitions were profoundly disrupted.

Krakatoa Eruption

1883

Name- Krakatoa Eruption
Location- Sundra Straight
Date- 1883
Magnitude- 6
Death toll- 36,000 The Krakatoa eruption caused multiple smaller earthquakes near the Sundra straight. The eruption was also the loudest sound ever recorded in human history. The eruption was especially bad because on top of the fact that nearby towns were being buried in ash and molten rock, the earthquakes and the tsunamis that followed were equally as devastating.

Alaska Earthquake

1946

Name- Alaska Earthquake
Location- Alaska
Date- 1946
Magnitude- 8.1
Death toll- 160 The tsunami occurred in the middle of the night off the coast of Alaska. The tsunami reached Hawaii and killed the 160 people recorded in the death toll.

Chile Earthquake

1960

Name- Chile Earthquake
Location- Chile
Date- 1960
Magnitude- 9.5
Death toll- 61 This earthquake is so far the most powerful earthquake ever recorded. The rupture zone ran 621 miles along the country's coast. The tsunami created by this earthquake reached as far away as New Zealand and Japan.

Alaska Earthquake

1964

Name- Alaska earthquake
Location- Alaska
Date- 1964
Magnitude- 9.2
Death toll- 130 The earthquake occurred at 5:36pm and caused multiple submarine landslides which in turn caused multiple tsunamis to hit the coast after the main one generated by the earthquake itself. In Chenega, the only building that survived all of the waves intact was the schoolhouse, built 100 feet (30 meters) above sea level.

Sea of Japan Earthquake

1993

Name- Sea of japan earthquake
Location- Sea of japan
Date- 1993
Magnitude- 7.8
Death toll- 120 The earthquake occurred in the sea of Japan. It caused a massive tsunami that hit the coasts of Hokkaidō and southeastern Russia.

Papua New Guinea Earthquake

1998

Name- Papua New Guinea earthquake
Location- Papua New Guinea
Date- 1998
Magnitude- 7.1
Death toll- 2100 The earthquake occurred 16 miles of the coast near Aitape with a depth of about 19 miles below the surface, and caused a large undersea landslide which caused a tsunami that reached about 49ft in height.

Sumatra Earthquake

2004

Name- Sumatra Earthquake
Location- Sumatra
Date- 2004
Magnitude- 9.1
Death toll- 230,000 The Sumatra earthquake was an undersea mega thrust earthquake that occurred off the west coast of northern Sumatra. The earthquake created massive 100+ft waves that destroyed much of Indonesia. This catastrophe was possibly the worst Indonesia has ever experienced.

Samoa Earthquake

2009

Name- Samoa earthquake
Location- Samoa
Date- 2009
Magnitude- 8.1
Death toll- 200 The Samoa earthquake occurred at 1:48pm in the southern portion of the pacific ocean. The earthquake generated a 72ft wave that ravaged the shores of multiple areas.

Chile Earthquake

2010

Name- Chile earthquake
Location- Chile
Date- 2010
Magnitude- 8.8
Death toll- 700 The earthquake occurred at 03:34 (local time) off the coast of central Chile. The epicenter was at a depth of 22 miles. The earthquake plus the tsunami caused upwards of $15-$30 billion dollars in damage.

Japan Earthquake

2011

Name- Japan earthquake
Location- Japan
Date- 2011
Magnitude- 9.1
Death toll- 20,000 The earthquake occurred at 2:46pm 231 miles north of Tokyo at a depth of 15.2 miles. This caused a wave that was 30+ feet in height to hit the coast of Japan.