Articles · Earth and Geological
Everything about Tsunami
6 articles across NWS
Ocean waves generated by undersea earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, or landslides. Tsunami risk zones include the Pacific and Atlantic coasts, Alaska, and Hawaii.
Disaster History
Case studies and disaster history
Crescent City 1964: The Night the Harbor Drained - and the Fourth Wave Killed Everyone Who Came Back
March 27, 1964. The Good Friday Earthquake struck Alaska - M9.2, the largest ever recorded in North America. Four hours later, tsunami waves reached Crescent City, California. After the second wave, t
The 1964 Good Friday Tsunami: How a 9.2 Earthquake Created the Modern Warning System
The 1964 Good Friday earthquake - magnitude 9.2, the largest in North American history - generated a tsunami that killed 139 people from Alaska to California. In Crescent City, people who survived the
Hilo, Hawaii 1960: The Tsunami That Came in Eight Waves - and Why 61 People Didn't Leave
On May 23, 1960, a tsunami generated by the world's largest recorded earthquake arrived at Hilo Bay, Hawaii after traveling 6,200 miles across the Pacific in 15 hours. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Syst
Palu 2018: The Tsunami That Wasn't Supposed to Happen - Strike-Slip Fault, Bay Geometry, 4,340 Dead
September 28, 2018. A M7.5 earthquake struck Sulawesi, Indonesia on the Palu-Koro fault - a strike-slip fault that moves horizontally. Strike-slip faults are not typically associated with tsunami gene
Tōhoku 2011: Japan's Seawalls, the Tsunami That Exceeded Them, and the Lesson of Engineered Limits
Japan spent decades and billions building the world's most extensive tsunami defense infrastructure. Seawalls. Breakwaters. Warning systems. Evacuation maps. The March 11, 2011 tsunami overtopped and
Preparedness
Preparedness and self-reliance
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