The most terrible tsunamis and earthquakes. The biggest tsunami in the world. What are they?

Which amazes with its power, strength and boundless energy. This element attracts the attention of researchers who are trying to understand the very nature of the occurrence of giant waves in order to prevent terrible consequences from the destructive power of water. This review will present a list of the largest tsunamis in scope that have occurred over the past 60 years.

Destructive wave in Alaska

The largest tsunamis in the world occur under the influence of various factors, but the most common cause of this phenomenon is earthquakes. It was the tremors that became the basis for the formation of a deadly wave back in 1964 in Alaska. Good Friday (March 27), one of the main Christian holidays, was overshadowed by an earthquake with a magnitude of 9.2 points. The natural phenomenon had a direct impact on the ocean - waves 30 meters long and 8 meters high arose. The tsunami destroyed everything in its path: the West Coast of North America, as well as Haiti and Japan, were affected. On this day, about 120 people died, and the territory of Alaska decreased by 2.4 meters.

Samoa's deadly tsunami

The photo of the largest wave in the world (tsunami) invariably impresses and evokes the most contradictory feelings - this is both horror from realizing the scale of the disaster that followed, and a certain reverence for the forces of nature. In general, a lot of similar pictures have appeared on news resources in recent years. They depict the terrible consequences of a natural disaster that took place in Samoa. According to reliable data, about 198 local residents died during the disaster, most of whom were children.

The magnitude 8.1 earthquake caused the world's largest tsunami. Photos of the consequences can be seen in the review. The maximum wave height reached 13.7 meters. The water destroyed several villages as it moved 1.6 km inland. Subsequently, after this tragic event, the situation in the region began to be monitored, which made it possible to evacuate people in a timely manner.

Hokkaido Island, Japan

The rating “The biggest tsunami in the world” cannot be imagined without an incident that occurred in Japan in 1993. The root cause of the formation of giant waves is an earthquake, which was localized 129 km from the coast. The authorities announced the evacuation of people, but it was not possible to avoid casualties. The height of the largest tsunami in the world, which occurred in Japan, was 30 meters. Special barriers were not enough to stop the powerful flow, so the small island of Okusuri was completely submerged in water. On this day, about 200 people out of 250 inhabitants who inhabited the city died.

City of Tumaco: the horror of a December morning

1979, December 12 - one of the most tragic days in the lives of people inhabiting the Pacific coast. It was on this morning at about 8:00 that an earthquake occurred with a magnitude of 8.9. But this was not the most serious shock that awaited people. After this, a whole series of tsunamis hit small villages and cities, sweeping away everything in its path. Within a few hours of the disaster, 259 people died, more than 750 were seriously injured, and 95 residents were declared missing. Below is a photo of the largest wave in the world. The tsunami in Tumaco cannot leave anyone indifferent.

Indonesian tsunami

5th place in the list of “The largest tsunamis in the world” is occupied by a wave 7 meters high, but stretching for 160 km. The Pangadarian resort area disappeared from the face of the earth along with the people who inhabited the area. In July 2006, 668 residents died and more than 9,000 sought help from medical institutions. About 70 people were declared missing.

Papua New Guinea: tsunami for humanity

The largest tsunami wave in the world, despite the severity of all the consequences, became an opportunity for scientists to advance in studying the underlying causes of this natural phenomenon. In particular, the primary role of strong underwater landslides, which contribute to water fluctuations, was identified.

In July 1998, an earthquake occurred with a magnitude of 7 points. Despite the seismic activity, scientists were unable to predict the tsunami, which caused numerous casualties. More than 2,000 residents died under the pressure of 15- and 10-meter waves, more than 10 thousand people lost their shelter and livelihood, 500 people disappeared.

Philippines: no chance of salvation

If you ask experts what is the largest tsunami in the world, they will unanimously name the wave of 1976. During this period, seismic activity was recorded near the island of Mindanao; at the source, the strength of the tremors reached 7.9 points. The earthquake created a wave of enormous scale that covered 700 km of the Philippine coast. The tsunami reached a height of 4.5 m. Residents did not have time to evacuate, which led to numerous casualties. More than 5 thousand died, 2,200 people were declared missing, and about 9,500 local residents were injured. In total, 90 thousand people suffered from the tsunami and lost their homes.

Pacific Death

The year 1960 is marked red in history. This comes as 6,000 people died due to a magnitude 9.5 earthquake at the end of May this year. It was seismic tremors that contributed to the eruption of the volcano and the formation of a colossal wave that swept away everything in its path. The height of the tsunami reached 25 meters, which in 1960 was a true record.

Tsunami in Tohuku: nuclear disaster

Japan faced this again, but the consequences were even worse than in 1993. A powerful wave, which reached 30 meters, hit Ofunato, a Japanese city. As a result of the disaster, more than 125 thousand buildings were taken out of service, and serious damage was caused to the Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant. The nuclear disaster was one of the most serious in recent years throughout the world. There is still no reliable information about the true damage caused to the environment. However, there is an opinion that the radiation spread over 320 km.

Tsunami in India is a threat to all humanity!

The natural disasters listed in the World's Biggest Tsunamis cannot compare to the event that occurred in December 2004. The wave hit several states that have access to the Indian Ocean. This is a real world war that required more than 14 billion dollars to correct the situation. According to reports presented after the tsunami, more than 240 thousand people living in various countries died: India, Indonesia, Thailand, etc.

The reason for the formation of a 30-meter wave is an earthquake. Its strength was 9.3 points. The water flow reached the coasts of some countries 15 minutes after the start of seismic activity, which did not give people a chance to escape death. Other states fell into the power of the elements after 7 hours, but despite such a delay, the population did not evacuate due to the lack of a warning system. Some people, oddly enough, were helped to escape by children who studied the signs of an impending disaster at school.

Tsunami in the fjord-shaped Gulf of Alaska

In the history of meteorological observations, a tsunami has been recorded, the height of which exceeds all conceivable and inconceivable records. In particular, scientists were able to record a wave with a height of 524 meters. A powerful stream of water rushed at a speed of 160 km/h. There was not a single living place left on the way: the trees were uprooted, the rocks were covered with cracks and breaks. La Gaussie Spit was wiped off the face of the Earth. Fortunately, there were few casualties. Only the death of the crew of one of the longboats, which at that moment was in a nearby bay, was recorded.

On December 26, 2004, one of the most powerful tsunamis in history hit southern Asia, causing catastrophic destruction. Today we remember the most powerful waves that humanity has ever encountered.

Tsunami in South Asia

On December 26, 2004, a powerful earthquake with an amplitude of 8.9 points was recorded near the island of Sumatra. The resulting wave hits the coasts of Thailand, Sri Lanka, India and Indonesia. Several hundred thousand casualties (including many tourists) and hundreds of destroyed cities make this one of the most destructive and powerful tsunamis in human history.

Tsunami in Alaska

On March 28, 1964, the most devastating tsunami in the history of the Northern Hemisphere occurred, which is commonly called the “Alaska tsunami.” The tremors at its epicenter, which was Prince William Sound, reached 9.2 on the Richter scale, and their echoes were felt throughout the western part of the continent. It is difficult to imagine the horror of the residents of the coast, who, on a fine pre-Easter day, saw a huge 30-meter wall of water on the horizon. The rogue waves left tens of thousands of people in the United States and Canada homeless and wiped out many coastal cities in North America.

Tsunami off Samoa

September 2009 was fatal for many Samoans. On a hot day, when most of the islanders were closer to the saving coolness of the ocean, 15-meter waves hit them. The earthquake was incredibly strong - 8.1 on the Richter scale, and the vibrations occurred in such a way that the bulk of the water rushed deep into the island, sweeping away everything in its path. The inhabitants of the archipelago would have had absolutely no chance of salvation if the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center had not managed to evacuate part of the population to elevated areas.

Tsunami off Okushiri Island

Japanese authorities are extremely attentive to preventing earthquake and tsunami threats. The Land of the Rising Sun has repeatedly suffered from destructive elements, but the government did everything possible to prevent human casualties. However, in every system there is a failure, and an example of this is the sad fate of Okushiri Island, which in a few minutes turned from a prosperous settlement into ruins. In 1993, 27-meter waves literally washed away the island, taking most of the inhabitants with it. The tremors reached a magnitude of 7.8.

Tsunami off the coast of Ecuador

In 1979, deadly waves again swept along the west coast of America, this time the South. The tsunami occurred off the coast of Ecuador as a result of a 7.9 magnitude earthquake, which was later dubbed "Tomaco". This tragedy will forever remain in the memory of Ecuadorians and Colombians. About a dozen fishing villages were completely destroyed, many families were left without breadwinners, hundreds of parents mourned their dead children, and 95 people are still considered missing.

Tsunami off the island of Java

In 2006, the calm life of the island of Java was disrupted by a deadly tsunami that claimed 668 lives. The bodies of another 65 people could not be found. Seven-meter waves hit the island, leveling the resort town of Pangandaran and leaving more than 6,000 people homeless. 9,000 people needed medical attention, most of the roads and almost all the buildings on the island were destroyed.

Nature sometimes surprises the inhabitants of the planet with various surprises, most of which actually turn out to be catastrophes and natural disasters. Such disasters claim a huge number of lives and cause significant damage to cities. Earthquakes were no exception, during which coastal residents wait with bated breath for the next disaster - a tsunami. Water during a tsunami can destroy everything in its path, and its strength depends on the magnitude of the earthquake. Even scientists with their latest technologies cannot predict the exact occurrence of a tsunami, and not everyone manages to escape.
The most destructive tsunamis:

• 1. Indian Ocean, December 26, 2004
• 5. Chile. May 22, 1960

Indian Ocean, December 26, 2004

The Indian Ocean did not remain calm that day either. At first, the whole of Southeast Asia was frightened by a terrible earthquake, which lasted almost 10 minutes and had a magnitude of more than 9 points. It began near the island of Sumatra. This earthquake caused a terrible and destructive tsunami, which killed more than 200,000 people.

A huge wave swept across the Indian Ocean at a speed of approximately 800 km/h and caused irreparable damage to all coastal regions. Sumatra and Java were the first to be affected, followed by Thailand. A few hours later, waves hit Somalia, India, the Maldives, Bangladesh and other countries. The Maldives, for example, are almost completely under water, since they do not rise much above sea level. These islands were saved by coral reefs, which absorbed the main force of the tsunami. Then the wave dealt a devastating blow to the African coast, where several hundred people were injured.

The awakening of the Krakatoa volcano in 1883 brought monstrous consequences. Its eruption caused destruction and loss of life on the nearby islands of Sumatra and Java. The first eruption shocked the population of the islands, but no one could have imagined what kind of casualties it would lead to. The second eruption caused not only a monstrous explosion, but also a gigantic wave. In the blink of an eye, it destroyed the cities of Asnieres and Mark and washed away 295 villages into the ocean.

More than 35 thousand people, and hundreds of thousands of people were left homeless. The wave was so strong that it was able to lift a Dutch warship to a height of 9 meters. It traveled around the globe several times. The consequences of the tsunami were felt by all coastal cities of the world, although not on the same scale as the islands directly next to the Krakatoa volcano.

The terrible consequences of the tsunami in Japan horrified the whole world. The magnitude 9 earthquake even received an official name, and the height of the tsunami waves averaged 11 meters. Sometimes the waves reached 40 meters in height. It’s hard to even imagine the destructive effect of a tsunami of such enormous power. The wave literally penetrated deep into the country in minutes, sweeping populated areas out of its path and throwing cars and ships to the sides.

Died 25 thousand people, the same number were declared missing. Echoes of the natural disaster even reached Chile. There was also an environmental disaster - the nuclear power plant was destroyed due to a terrible tsunami. This caused severe radiation pollution, and an area 20 km around the power plant became an exclusion zone. The Japanese will now need at least 50 years to eliminate all the consequences of the accident.

Another earthquake here ended in a terrible disaster that claimed thousands of lives. It triggered a massive underwater landslide that triggered a tsunami. There were three huge waves in total and they moved one after another with a short period of time. The greatest destruction occurred in the Sissano Lagoon.

Died more than 2,000 people, and even more people were left homeless. Hundreds of people are missing. The water washed away all coastal villages, and after the natural disaster, 100 square meters. m. of the coastline went under water, forming a large lagoon. There was a lot of controversy about what happened, because it was possible to warn people about the disaster (the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center was aware of the possibility of a tsunami), and the local residents themselves, knowing about the danger, did not hide. Some even specifically went to see where such noise was coming from.

The earthquake and subsequent tsunami caused terrible damage to the Chilean coast. About a thousand people died in a small fishing village that was in the path of the tsunami, and the port of Ankund was completely washed away from the shore. Eyewitnesses say that the water in the sea first rose and then began to move away from the shores, forming a huge wave. Many residents decided to try to escape by going out into the ocean on boats. Approximately 700 people fled their homes in hopes of escaping the disaster, but none returned. Then the wave, having fun off the coast of Chile, went further into the ocean. There she washed away a huge stone structure from the shores of Easter Island and reached the Hawaiian Islands.

In Hawaii, it destroyed and washed most of the buildings and cars into the ocean. 60 people died. California was also affected, with 30 ships sank and several hundred gallons of fuel spilled into the water. Not calming down, the tsunami hit Japan. Here a real catastrophe unfolded - 122 dead and thousands of buildings washed out to sea. According to some reports, 5 thousand buildings were destroyed in Japan. A few days later, a new disaster happened in Chile - 14 volcanoes “awakened”.

Nature, unfortunately, cannot be controlled or trained. Natural disasters most often cannot be prevented, but you can be prepared for them. You should also know what to do if you find yourself in such a disaster. The main thing is to be able to concentrate and not panic, and, of course, no one canceled assistance to other victims.

Tsunamis produced by earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are considered the most dangerous natural phenomena on Earth. In the last two decades alone, giant waves and tremors have combined to kill 55% of the 1.35 million people killed in natural disasters. Throughout its history, humanity has experienced many similar disasters, but in this article we bring to your attention the ten most destructive and deadly tsunamis ever recorded on our planet.

1. Sumatra (Indonesia), December 24, 2004

At the end of December 2004, off the coast of Sumatra, at a depth of about 30 km, a powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 9.1 occurred, caused by a vertical displacement of the seabed. As a result of the seismic event, a large wave was formed about 1,300 km wide, which reached a height of 15 meters as it approached the shore. A giant wall of water hit the shores of Indonesia, Thailand, India, Sri Lanka and several other countries, leaving behind between 225,000 and 300,000 dead. Many people were swept into the ocean, so the exact numbers of deaths are unlikely to ever be known. According to general estimates, the damage from the disaster amounted to about 10 billion US dollars.

2. Pacific Northwest Coast (Japan), March 11, 2011

In 2011, on March 11, a huge 10-meter wave, moving at a speed of 800 km/h, swept the east coast of Japan and led to the death or disappearance of over 18,000 people. The reason for its appearance was an earthquake of magnitude 9.0 that occurred at a depth of 32 km east of the island of Honshu. About 452,000 Japanese survivors were moved to temporary shelters. Many still live there today. An earthquake and tsunami caused an accident at the Fukushima nuclear power plant, after which significant radioactive releases occurred. Total damage amounted to $235 billion.

3. Lisbon (Portugal), November 1, 1755

An earthquake of magnitude 8.5 that occurred in the Atlantic caused a series of three huge waves that covered the Portuguese capital and a number of coastal cities in Portugal, Spain and Morocco. In some places the tsunami height reached 30 meters. The waves crossed the Atlantic Ocean and reached Barbados, where their height was 1.5 meters. Overall, the quake and subsequent tsunami killed about 60,000 people.

4. Krakatoa (Indonesia), August 27, 1883

The volcanic eruption in 1883 was one of the largest in modern human history. The giant's explosions were so powerful that they caused high waves that flooded the surrounding islands. After the volcano split and fell into the ocean, the largest tsunami was generated, 36 meters high, destroying over 160 villages on the islands of Sumatra and Java. Of the more than 36,000 people killed in the eruption, over 90% of people were victims of the tsunami.

5. Nankaido (Japan), September 20, 1498

According to general estimates, the earthquake that shook the islands in southeastern Japan had a magnitude of at least 8.4. The seismic event led to a tsunami that hit the Japanese provinces of Kii, Awaji and the coast of Shikoku island. The waves were strong enough to destroy the isthmus that previously separated Lake Hamana from the ocean. Flooding was observed throughout the historical Nankaido region, and the death toll was estimated to have reached between 26,000 and 31,000 people.

6. Nankaido (Japan), October 28, 1707

Another devastating tsunami, caused by a magnitude 8.4 earthquake, hit Nankaido, Japan in 1707. The wave height was 25 meters. Settlements on the coast of Kyushu, Shikoku and Honshu were damaged, and the large Japanese city of Osaka was also damaged. The disaster resulted in the destruction of more than 30,000 homes and the death of approximately 30,000 people. It is estimated that about a dozen tsunamis hit Japan in just 1 hour that day, some of them traveling several kilometers deep into the islands.

7. Sanriku (Japan), June 15, 1896

The tsunami in the northeastern part of the island of Honshu was caused by an earthquake of magnitude 7.2, caused by a shift of lithospheric plates in the area of ​​the Japan Trench. After the earthquake, two waves rushed into the Sanriku region one after another, rising to a height of up to 38 meters. Since the arrival of the water coincided with the tide, the damage from the disaster was incredibly high. More than 22,00 people were killed and over 9,000 buildings were destroyed. The tsunamis also reached the Hawaiian Islands, but here their height was much lower - about 9 meters.

8. Northern Chile, August 13, 1868

The tsunami in northern Chile (at that time off the coast of Arica in Peru) was caused by a series of two large earthquakes with a magnitude of 8.5. Waves up to 21 meters high flooded the entire Asia-Pacific region and reached Sydney, Australia. The waters washed over the shores for 2 or 3 days, ultimately causing 25,000 deaths and $300 million in damage.

9. Ryukyu (Japan), April 24, 1771

Boulders thrown up by the tsunami

A magnitude 7.4 earthquake caused a tsunami that flooded many Japanese islands. The hardest hit areas were Ishigaki and Miyako, where wave heights ranged from 11 to 15 meters. The disaster resulted in the destruction of 3,137 houses and the death of about 12,000 people.

10. Ise Bay (Japan), January 18, 1586

Ise Bay today

The earthquake that caused the tsunami in Ise Bay on the island of Honshu received a magnitude of 8.2. Waves rose to a height of 6 meters, causing damage to settlements on the coast. The city of Nagahama suffered not only from water, but also from fires that broke out after the earthquake and destroyed half of the buildings. The Gulf tsunami killed more than 8,000 people.

Tsunamis are the largest and most powerful ocean waves that sweep away everything in their path with terrifying force. The peculiarity of such a dangerous natural disaster is the size of the moving wave, its enormous speed, and the gigantic distance between the crests, which reaches tens of kilometers. Tsunamis pose an extreme danger to the coastal zone. Approaching the shore, the wave gains enormous speed, contracts in front of the obstacle, grows significantly in size and deals a crushing and irreparable blow to the land area.

What causes this huge influx of water, which leaves even the tallest and fortified structures no chance of survival? What natural forces can create a water tornado and deprive cities and regions of the right to survive? The movement of tectonic plates and splits in the earth's crust are the worst harbingers of the collapse of a giant stream.

The largest tsunami in the world in the history of mankind

What is the known largest wave in the world? Let's look through the pages of history. The date July 9, 1958 is well remembered by Alaskans. It was this day that became fatal for the Lituya fjord, which is located in the northeastern part of the Gulf of Alaska. The harbinger of the historical event was an earthquake, the strength of which, according to measurements, was equal to 9.1 points. This is what caused the terrifying rockfall, which caused the collapse of rocks and a wave of unprecedented magnitude.

The weather was clear and sunny all day on July 9th. The water level dropped by 1.5 meters, fishermen on ships were fishing (Lituya Bay has always been a favorite place for avid fishermen). Towards evening, around 22:00 local time, a landslide that rolled into the water from a height of 910 meters, followed by huge stones and blocks of ice. The total weight of the mass was approximately 300 million cubic meters. The northern part of the Lituya Bay was completely flooded with water. At the same time, a giant pile of stones was thrown to the opposite side, as a result of which the entire green area of ​​the Fairweather coast was destroyed.

A landslide of this magnitude provoked the appearance of a huge wave, the height of which was 524 meters! This is approximately a building of 200 floors! It was the largest and highest wave in the world. The gigantic force of the ocean water literally washed away Lituya Bay. The tidal wave picked up speed (by this time it had already accelerated to 160 km/h) and rushed towards Cenotaph Island. Terrible landslides simultaneously descended from the mountains to the water, carrying a column of dust and stones. The wave rose to such a size that the foot of the mountain disappeared under it.

Trees and greenery covering the mountain slopes were uprooted and sucked into the water column. The tsunami continually rushed from side to side inside the bay, covering points of the shallows and sweeping away the forest covers of the high northern mountains on its way. There is no trace left of the La Gaussi spit, which separated the waters of the bay and Gilbert Bay. After everything had calmed down, on the shore one could see catastrophic cracks in the ground, severe destruction and rubble. The buildings erected by the fishermen were completely destroyed. The scale of the disaster was impossible to assess.

This wave claimed the lives of about three hundred thousand people. Only the longboat managed to escape, which by some incredible miracle was thrown out of the bay and thrown over the sandbank. Once on the other side of the mountain, the fishermen were left without a vessel, but were rescued two hours later. The bodies of the fishermen of another longboat were carried away into the abyss of water. They were never found.

Another terrible tragedy

Terrible destruction remained after the tsunami on December 26, 2004 for residents of the Indian Ocean coast. A powerful shock in the ocean caused a disastrous wave. In the depths of the Pacific Ocean, near the island of Sumatra, a fracture of the earth's crust occurred, which provoked a displacement of the bottom over a distance of more than 1000 kilometers. The largest wave that has ever covered the coast was formed from this fault. At first its height was no more than 60 centimeters. But it accelerated, and now a 20-meter shaft was rushing at an insane, unprecedented speed of 800 kilometers per hour towards the islands of Sumatra and Thailand to the east of India and Sri Lanka - to the west! In eight hours, a terrible tsunami, unprecedented in history, flew over the entire coast of the Indian Ocean, and in 24 hours, the entire World Ocean!

The greatest destruction occurred on the shores of Indonesia. The tidal wave buried cities and regions tens of kilometers deep. The islands of Thailand have become a mass grave for tens of thousands of people. Residents of coastal areas had no chance of salvation, since the water blanket held the cities under it for more than 15 minutes. Huge loss of life resulted from the natural disaster. Economic losses were also impossible to calculate. More than 5 million residents were forced to leave their homes, more than one million needed help, and two million people needed new housing. International organizations responded and helped the victims in every possible way.

Disaster in Prince William Sound

Severe, irreparable losses were caused by an earthquake on March 27, 1964 in Prince William Sound (Alaska) measuring 9.2 on the Richter scale. It covered a huge area of ​​800,000 square kilometers. Such a powerful push from a depth of more than 20 kilometers can be compared to the simultaneous explosion of 12 thousand atomic bombs! The western coast of the United States of America was significantly damaged, which was literally covered by a huge tsunami. The wave reached as far as Antarctica and Japan. Villages and towns, enterprises, and the city of Veldez were wiped off the face of the earth.

The wave swept away everything that came in its way: dams, concrete blocks, houses, buildings, ships in the port. The wave height reached 67 meters! This, of course, is not the largest wave in the world, but it brought a lot of destruction. Fortunately, the deadly stream claimed the lives of approximately 150 people. The number of victims could have been much higher, but due to the sparse population of these places, only 150 local residents died. Considering the area and gigantic power of the stream, they had no chance of survival.

Great East Japan Earthquake

One can only imagine what force of nature destroyed the shores of Japan and brought irreparable losses to its inhabitants. After this disaster, the consequences will be felt for many years. At the junction of the world's two largest lithospheric plates, an earthquake measuring 9.0 on the Richter scale occurred, about twice the magnitude of the tremors caused by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. A tragic event of enormous scale is also called the “Great East Japan Earthquake.” In just 20 minutes, a terrifying wave, the height of which exceeded 40 meters, reached the shores of Japan, where a large number of people were located.

About 25 thousand people became victims of the tsunami. This was the largest wave in the history of the Easterners. But this was only the beginning of the disaster. The scale of the tragedy grew every hour after the attack by the powerful flow of the Fokushima-1 nuclear power plant. The power plant system went out of operating mode due to tremors and shock waves. The failure was followed by a meltdown of the reactors in the power units. Today, a zone within a radius of tens of kilometers is a zone of exclusion and disaster. About 400 thousand buildings and structures were destroyed, bridges, railways, highways, airports, ports and shipping stations were destroyed. It will take years to rebuild the country after the terrible disaster brought by the highest wave.

Disaster on the coast of Papua New Guinea

Another disaster struck the coast of Papua New Guinea in July 1998. The earthquake, measuring 7.1 on the measurement scale, triggered by a massive landslide, caused a wave more than 15 meters high, which killed more than 200 thousand people, leaving thousands more homeless on the island. Before the invasion of ocean water, there was a small bay here called Varupu, the waters of which washed two islands, where the Varupu people lived, worked and traded peacefully. Two powerful and unexpected impulses from underground occurred within 30 minutes of each other.

They set in motion a huge shaft, which caused strong waves that swept away several villages along a length of 30 kilometers from the face of New Guinea. Residents of seven more settlements needed medical care and were hospitalized. The sea level in the capital of New Guinea, Rabaul, rose by 6 centimeters. A tidal wave of such magnitude has never been observed before, although in this region local residents often suffer from disasters such as tsunamis and earthquakes. A giant wave destroyed and carried under water an area of ​​more than 100 square kilometers to a depth of 4 meters.

Tsunami in the Philippines

Exactly until August 16, 1976, the small island of Mindanao existed in the oceanic depression of Cotabato. It was the most southern, picturesque and exotic place among all the islands of the Philippines. Local residents could not at all predict that a terrible earthquake measuring 8 on the Richter scale would destroy this stunning place, washed by the seas on all sides. A huge force created a tsunami as a result of an earthquake.

The wave seemed to cut off the entire coastline of Mindanao. Not having time to escape, 5 thousand people died under the shelter of sea water. Approximately 2.5 thousand residents of the island were not found, 9.5 thousand received varying degrees of injury, more than 90 thousand lost their shelter and remained on the street. This was the strongest activity in the history of the Philippine Islands. Scientists who examined the details of the disaster found that the power of such a natural phenomenon caused movements of the water mass, which provoked a shift in the islands of Sulawesi and Borneo. It was the worst and most destructive event in the entire period of the existence of the island of Mindanao.