World Map › Major Tsunamis Since 1900
Historic Tsunamis
Major Tsunamis Since 1900
492 tsunamis that caused deaths or waves of at least 2 m have been recorded worldwide since 1900 by NOAA. Together they killed more than 1,143,000 people. 75% of them were triggered by an earthquake, the others by eruptions, landslides or weather. Each tsunami has its own page, with the countries and places it reached.
Major Tsunamis by Decade
The Deadliest
- 2010Haiti & Dominican Republic, Haiti · 3.2 m316,000 deaths
- 2004Off West Coast of Sumatra, Indonesia · 50.9 m227,899 deaths
- 1923Sagami Bay, Japan · 13.0 m105,385 deaths
- 1908Messina Strait, Ionian Sea, Italy · 13.0 m80,000 deaths
- 1970North Peru, Peru · 0.5 m66,794 deaths
- 2023Gulf of Iskenderun, Turkey · 0.3 m56,697 deaths
- 1990Caspian Sea, Iran · 2.0 m40,000 deaths
- 1939South Black Sea, Turkey · 0.5 m32,700 deaths
- 1976Guatemala · 0.1 m23,000 deaths
- 1905Kangra, India19,000 deaths
- 2011Honshu Island, Japan · 39.3 m18,423 deaths
- 1999Kocaeli, Turkey · 2.5 m17,118 deaths
- 1934Bihar-Nepal, Ganges River, Nepal10,600 deaths
- 1952Kamchatka, Russia · 23.0 m10,000 deaths
- 1985Mexico · 3.0 m9,500 deaths
- 1976Moro Gulf, Philippines · 9.0 m8,000 deaths
- 2026Northwest Venezuela, Venezuela · 0.0 m6,509 deaths
- 1995Kobe, Japan · 0.3 m6,434 deaths
- 1980El Asnam, Algeria · 0.7 m5,000 deaths
- 2018Sulawesi, Indonesia · 10.7 m4,340 deaths
The Highest Waves
- 1958Se. Alaska, Ak, United States of America524.6 m
- 2025Tracy Arm, Ak, United States of America481.0 m
- 1980Washington, United States of America250.0 m
- 1963Vajont Dam, Vajont River, Italy235.0 m
- 2023Dickson Fjord, Greenland200.0 m
- 2015Taan Fjord, Ak, United States of America193.0 m
- 2022Ecstall River, Bc, Canada170.0 m
- 1936Lituya Bay, Ak, United States of America149.4 m
- 2000Altar Volcano, Ecuador125.0 m
- 1987Valtellina, Italy95.0 m
- 2017Karrat Fjord, Greenland90.0 m
- 2018Bureya, Far Eastern Russia, Russia90.0 m
- 2018Krakatau, Indonesia85.0 m
- 1986Lake Nyos, Cameroon75.0 m
- 1967Iceland: Central-South, Iceland75.0 m
- 1936Loen, Norway74.0 m
- 1936Lake Lovatnet, Norway74.0 m
- 1934Tafjord, Norway62.3 m
- 2024Pedersen Lagoon, Ak, United States of America62.0 m
- 1965Southern Chile, Chile60.0 m
Sources: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Global Historical Tsunami Database (doi:10.7289/V5PN93H7)