The most destructive tsunamis in history - Hundreds of thousands of lives have been lost in the wake of tsunamis

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Greenland, 2017 -

The 2017 tsunami in Greenland was neither the deadliest nor the most destructive, but it was certainly one of the largest in history. The small island nation rarely sees tsunamis, but this one made quite an impression.

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Greenland, 2017 -

A landslide at the Karrat Fjord caused a 295-foot (90 m) wall of water to rise into the air and crash down on the village of Nuugaatsiaq. It swept away 11 buildings and killed four people.

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Greenland, 2017 -

This megatsunami was caused by melting glaciers as a result of global warming. These disasters may start to affect the polar regions more and more as climate change continues to progress.

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Alaska, 1958 -

The largest megatsunami ever recorded happened in Alaska in 1958. A 7.3 magnitude earthquake hit the Lituya Bay area in southern Alaska, disrupting the Fairweather fault. This dislodged 90 million tons (90 billion kg) of rock, which fell into the bay.

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Alaska, 1958 -

This catapulted a wall of water 1,720 feet (525 m) into the air. The event killed five people in total. Two unlucky souls happened to be on a boat in Lituya Bay when it happened, while the others were on the shore of Khantaak Island.

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Indonesia, 1674 -

The first megatsunami in recorded history occurred in Indonesia in 1674. A major earthquake struck the Maluku Islands and sent a massive wave hurtling towards Ambon Island. It killed 2,000 people on the island.

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Indonesia, 1674 -

The wave reached the coastal hills of the Hitu Peninsula on Ambon Island, which tells us that the tsunami peaked at a height of around 328 feet (100 m).

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Italy, 1963 -

A deadly tsunami of terrifying height struck Italy’s Piave valley in 1963, but this one was directly caused by human actions. The Vajont dam in Northern Italy, which was the highest of its kind when it was built, was starting to show cracks.

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Italy, 1963 -

On October 9, 1963, the entire slope collapsed into the dam, sending up a wall of water that reach 770 feet (235 m). The tsunami washed away several villages in Piave valley within a matter of 15 minutes.

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Italy, 1963 -

The wave killed more than 2,000 people, making it one of the deadliest man-made environmental disasters in history.

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Japan, 1896 -

In 1896, the northern tip of Japan’s mainland was hit by a monumental wave that was reportedly more than 120 feet (38 m) high. It was generated off the coast of Sanriku following a 7.6 magnitude earthquake.

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Japan, 1896 -

Historical records state that there was a corresponding seismic event impacting China’s east coast at the same time. A tsunami hit the coastline with force, causing 4,000 deaths and extensive damage to the local crops.

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Japan, 1896 -

A Shinto holiday was being celebrated in Japan when the tsunami hit. It killed an estimated 20,000 people and destroyed 11,000 homes. The wave was so powerful that some of the victims were noted to have broken bones.

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Japan, 2011 -

Japan has a place of honor on the Pacific Ring of Fire. The countries whose coastlines touch the Pacific Ocean are home to some of the most volatile seismic activity in the world, and are also home to many of the most active volcanoes.

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Japan, 2011 -

Japan has been the location of many of the most severe earthquakes and tsunamis in history. One of the more recent ones was made all the more dangerous because it occurred in the region surrounding the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. When a 9.0 magnitude earthquake struck off the east coast, it sent a 30-foot (10-m) wave traveling towards the shore at a terrifying 500 miles (800 km) per hour.

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Japan, 2011 -

The tsunami itself took more than 19,000 lives. It also triggered a nuclear emergency at Fukushima, causing radioactive steam to leak out of the plant at dangerous levels. This affected thousands of local residents who now have a higher risk of developing cancer, and also contaminated the ocean for years.

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Chile, 1868 -

In 1868, an earthquake with a magnitude of around 9.0 hit the coast of Chile. The earthquake triggered multiple waves that struck Chile, and others that traveled as far as Hawaii, Japan, and Australia.

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Chile, 1868 -

One of the waves was 39 feet (12 meters) tall and another was 52 feet (16 meters). Several large ships that had been anchored on the coast of Chile were carried 2,600 feet (880 m) inland by the tsunami. In total, around 25,000 people were killed.

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Japan, 1707 -

The Pacific coast of Japan was devastated by a historical tsunami again in 1707. This one was caused by an 8.3 magnitude earthquake and triggered 80-feet (25-m) high waves to hammer against the coastlines of Kyushyu, Shikoku, and Honshin. Osaka was also damaged by the powerful waves.

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Japan, 1707 -

Reports from that period recorded an onslaught of a dozen large waves between 3 pm and 4 pm. They killed around 30,000 people and destroyed an estimated 30,000 buildings. Some of the waves traveled miles inland to cause further damage.

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Japan, 1498 -

Another of Japan’s most famous tsunamis occurred in 1498. It hit the Nankaidō coastline following an 8.3 magnitude earthquake. The resulting waves were so strong that they breached a sandspit that had previously separated Lake Hamana from the ocean, turning it into a lagoon.

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Japan, 1498 -

Historical reports describe entire homes being swept away by the waves, and it’s estimated that at least 31,000 people were killed.

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Indonesia, 1883 -

Indonesia was the site of yet another destructive tsunami back in 1883. This time, it was caused by the infamous volcano Krakatau. A particularly violent eruption caused several waves of more than 100 feet (over 30 m) in height to batter the coastline, demolishing the towns of Anjer and Merak.

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Indonesia, 1883 -

The water was pulled so drastically towards the Indonesian coastline that it was seen to recede from the shores of Bombay in India, thousands of miles away. It killed an estimated 40,000 people.

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Portugal, 1755 -

In 1755, a historically huge earthquake struck Portugal, sending a calamitous tsunami to destroy much of the country’s west coast. Three huge waves reportedly came one after the other, reaching as high as 100 ft (30 m) in some places. The terrible tsunami hit Portugal, Spain, and Morocco, killing an estimated 60,000 people.

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Portugal, 1755 -

The city of Lisbon still holds the scars of this disaster. It was more or less leveled by the earthquake and tsunami, bar a few buildings such as the Convento do Carmo, which managed to stay standing (except for the roof) thanks to its location at the top of one of Lisbon’s many hills. It has been preserved in its ruined form for centuries.

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Indonesia, 2004 -

A 9.1 magnitude earthquake occurred approximately 20 miles (30 km) deep in the ocean at 8 am local time, off the west coast of Sumatra. The fault zone that caused the tsunami was estimated to be 800 miles (1,300 km) long, generating a wall of water 160 feet (50 m) tall.

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Indonesia, 2004 -

The tsunami reached 14 different countries in the Indian Ocean, traveling as much as 3 miles (5 km) inland in Sumatra. It caused a devastating 227,000 deaths, as well as wiping out entire towns and cities, displacing a further 1.7 million people. It caused an estimated US$10 billion in damage.

Sources: (Australian Geographic) (Ocean Info) (Mental Floss) 

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