Tsunamis since 1900
1,172
probable or definite, since 1900; 3,138 events in the database since Antiquity
NCEI/WDS Global Historical Tsunami Database · U.S. Government work, public domain; cite NCEI/WDS · 10/25/26
Current
Caused by an earthquake
77 %
volcanoes 6 %, landslides 10 %, weather 6 %
Recorded deaths
297,147
since 1900, victims of the tsunami itself (earthquake victims excluded)
NCEI/WDS Global Historical Tsunami Database · U.S. Government work, public domain; cite NCEI/WDS · 10/25/26
Current
Highest wave measured
525 m
1958-07-10 · Se. alaska, ak
Earthquakes and tsunamis. Since 1950, 53 % of shallow earthquakes of magnitude 7 or more produced a tsunami, against 5 % of deep earthquakes (986 earthquakes matched with the database). dedicated page
Tsunamis since 1900
NCEI/WDS Global Historical Tsunami Database · U.S. Government work, public domain; cite NCEI/WDS · 10/25/26
Tsunamis per year (probable or definite)
NCEI/WDS Global Historical Tsunami Database · U.S. Government work, public domain; cite NCEI/WDS · 10/25/26
Current
Show the data as a table
The deadliest since 1900
| Date | Place | Cause | Max. wave | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004-12-26 | Off w. coast of sumatra | Earthquake (M 9.1) | 50.9 m | 227,899 |
| 2011-03-11 | Honshu island | Earthquake (M 9.1) | 39.3 m | 18,423 |
| 1952-11-04 | Kamchatka | Earthquake (M 9.0) | 23.0 m | 10,000 |
| 1976-08-16 | Moro gulf | Earthquake (M 8.0) | 9.0 m | 6,800 |
| 2018-09-28 | Sulawesi | Earthquake (M 7.5) | 10.7 m | 4,340 |
| 1933-03-02 | Sanriku | Earthquake (M 8.4) | 29.0 m | 3,022 |
| 1960-05-22 | Southern chile | Earthquake (M 9.5) | 25.0 m | 2,226 |
| 1907-01-04 | Nw. sumatra | Earthquake (M 8.2) | 15.0 m | 2,188 |
| 1908-12-28 | Messina strait, ionian sea | Earthquake (M 7.0) | 13.0 m | 2,000 |
| 1963-10-09 | Vajont dam, vajont river | Landslide | 235.0 m | 2,000 |
The most recent
- 2026-10-09 · Isla cañas, panama · M 7.7
- 2026-09-21 · Santa catarina
- 2026-08-24 · Balearic islands · 0.7 m
- 2026-08-14 · Flores sea · M 7.7 · 2.9 m
- 2026-08-05 · Celebes sea · M 6.3 · 0.1 m
- 2026-07-27 · Lake michigan · 0.4 m
- 2026-07-17 · S. mexico · M 7.3 · 0.3 m
- 2026-06-24 · Northwest venezuela · M 7.5 · 0.0 m
Method and sources
Data. NOAA Global Historical Tsunami Database (NCEI/WDS), read through its API: date, cause, validity, generating earthquake (magnitude, depth), maximum water height, number of run-up observations and human toll. Only probable or definite events (validity 3 and 4) since 1900 are shown; causes are grouped (earthquake, volcano, landslide, meteorological, other).
Link with earthquakes. Each USGS earthquake of magnitude 7 or more since 1950 is paired with a tsunami of seismic origin in the database (same day within one day, epicentres within 300 km); see the correspondence “Earthquakes and tsunamis”.
Reading these data
The database mixes centuries of archives and instrumental measurements: before about 1950, only destructive tsunamis are known. Maximum heights often come from a single site (the 524 m wave of Lituya Bay in 1958, due to a landslide in a fjord, has nothing in common with an ocean tsunami). Tolls count the victims attributed to the tsunami itself, apart from those of the earthquake; they remain uncertain for old events.
SOURCES OF THIS PAGE
- NCEI/WDS Global Historical Tsunami Database
-
National Geophysical Data Center / World Data Service: NCEI/WDS Global Historical Tsunami Database. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information.
· doi:10.7289/V5PN93H7 · source page ↗
Licence : U.S. Government work, public domain; cite NCEI/WDS · retrieved on Oct 25, 2026 · SHA-256 6955e2d6b325… - Okal (2011)
-
Okal, E. A. (2011). Tsunamigenic earthquakes: past and present milestones. Pure and Applied Geophysics, 168(6–7), 969–995.
· doi:10.1007/s00024-010-0215-9
Licence : Published literature; cited