The World's Biggest Waves
Tsunamis are some of the most powerful and destructive forces of nature. They're capable of reshaping shorelines in the matter of minutes, leaving devastation in their wake. Here are some of the biggest tsunamis ever recorded.
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1. 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake and Tsunami
On Boxing Day of 2004, a major earthquake shook Indonesia triggering a tsunami over 100 feet high. It was one of the deadliest natural disasters ever recorded, killing over 200,000.
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2. 1755 Lisbon Earthquake and Tsunami
On November 1st, 1755, an earthquake hit Lisbon, killing 60,000 people in that city alone. The tsunami it created traveled to Cadiz, Spain, and grew to 65 feet tall.
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3. 1883 Eruption of the Krakatau Volcano and Tsunami
A volcano in Indonesia that erupted on August 27th, 1883, was one of the most destructive in history, and could be heard all the way in Perth, Australia. A series of tsunamis were set off by the massive explosion destroying the Indonesian port town of Merak with waves up to 150 feet high.
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4. 1868 Arica Earthquake and Tsunami
On August 13th, 1868, an earthquake struck Arica, a city in what is now northern Chile. A tsunami was produced as an effect of it, hitting Hawaii and New Zealand, and reaching a height of 65 feet.
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5. 2011 Tōhoku Earthquake and Tsunami
An undersea earthquake in the Pacific caused this massive tsunami on March 11th, 2011. It created waves over 120 feet high and caused the infamous Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster in which radioactive waste was emitted into the water.
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6. 1964 Alaska Earthquake
Dubbed the Great Alaskan Earthquake, this seismic event shook Alaska on March 27th, 1964, and remains the most powerful earthquake ever recorded in North America. The ensuing tsunami was equally impressive with waves reaching 220 feet tall.
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7. 1908 Messina Earthquake
This devastating earthquake occurred in Southern Italy on December 28th, 1908, and almost completely destroyed two full cities. Ten minutes later, a series of tsunamis with waves an estimated 40 feet high was unleashed on the coasts of Sicily and Calabria.
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8. 2009 Samoa Earthquake and Tsunami
In September of 2009, a series of massive earthquakes struck in the southern Pacific Ocean off the coasts of the American Samoa, Samoa, and Tonga Islands. It generated a deadly tsunami 72 feet tall, killing about 200 people.
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9. 2010 Chile Earthquake
This massive earthquake struck Chile on February 27th, 2010. The impact of two tectonic plates colliding in the sea caused a tsunami 50 feet high, destroying the town of Constitución.
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10. 1837 Valdivia Earthquake
The predecessor to the largest earthquake ever recorded, the 1837 Valdivia Earthquake, struck on November 7th. It sent massive tsunamis to Hawaii and Japan, destroying houses, and rice fields, and killing 14.
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11. 1958 Lituya Bay Earthquake and Megatsunami
In the summer of 1958 in Alaska, an earthquake struck, causing a megatsunami. It had a height of a whopping 490 feet, but miraculously, only killed five people.
12. 1983 Sea of Japan Earthquake
The Sea of Japan Earthquake occurred about 100 kilometers off the coast of Japan causing a tsunami with waves more than 49 feet high. It caused 100 deaths and extensive damage to the coastline.
13. 1999 Izmit Earthquake
On August 17th, 1999, the Izmit Earthquake hit Turkey, killing around 18,000 people. The tsunami that hit the Gulf of Izmit a few minutes later caused flooding and was associated with the deaths of more than 150 people.
14. 1992 Nicaragua earthquake
The 1992 Nicaragua earthquake happened on September 1st off the coasts of Nicaragua and Costa Rica. Although the earthquake wasn’t very strong, it caused a tsunami with 32-foot waves that killed around 170 people.
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15. 1952 Severo-Kurilsk Earthquake
On November 5th, 1952, the largest earthquake ever to hit Russia occurred. The following tsunami had waves between 49 and 59 feet high and killed almost half the population of the Russian village.
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16. 1979 Tumaco Earthquake
The 1979 Tumaco earthquake hit Colombia near the city of Tumaco. It caused a four-wave 20-foot tsunami that killed 300-600 people.
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17. 2006 Pangandaran Earthquake and Tsunami
An earthquake was felt off the coast of the Indonesian island of Java on July 17th, 2006 causing a curiously strong tsunami relative to the earthquake. Unfortunately, because it occurred on a national holiday, the beach was full of people and the death toll was tragically high, with over 600 people dead.
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18. 2010 Mentawai earthquake and tsunami
The 2010 Mentawai earthquake off the coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra was only about 9 feet tall, but it swept inland over 600 meters bringing significant damage. It caused 435 deaths and displaced more than 20,000.
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19. 1994 Java Earthquake
On June 3rd, 1994, an earthquake occurred on the Southern coast of Java. The ensuing series of tsunamis hit Java and Bali, the 46-foot waves killing 250 people.
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20. 1993 Hokkaido Earthquake
An earthquake in the Sea of Japan near Hokkaido triggered a tsunami that caused the deaths of 230 people. The tsunami defense system built a decade prior on Hokkaido’s island Okushiri was badly destroyed by the massive wave and landslides enveloped the port.
