My Beauties

The idea of the earth tearing itself apart is terrifying enough, but the devastation that earthquakes cause is only intensified by the huge waves that can follow a massive seismic disturbance in the ocean bed. Often, coastal inhabitants have just minutes to flee to higher ground, and any delay can cause shocking casualties.

In the last 50 years our ability to investigate, predict and record tsunamis has reached new heights, but the devastation these unstoppable walls of water can cause has also become ever more evident. Here we list the ten most catastrophic tsunamis in recent memory.

10. 1964 Alaska Earthquake and Tsunami

March 27, 1964 was Good Friday, but the Christian day of worship was interrupted by a 9.2-magnitude earthquake — the most violent ever recorded in North American history. The resultant tsunamis devastated the western North American coastline (as well as hitting Hawaii and Japan), causing the deaths of 121 people in locations as far apart as Alaska and California. Waves were recorded at heights of up to 100 feet, and a 27-foot tsunami obliterated the tiny Alaskan village of Chenega, killing 23. The earthquake also caused permanent changes to the geography of the region, with areas of land in Alaska dropping up to 8 feet.

9. 2009 Samoa Earthquake and Tsunami

In 2009, the Samoan Islands experienced an 8.1 magnitude earthquake just minutes before 7am on the 29th of September. At their highest, the waves from the resulting tsunami were measured at 45 feet, and they traveled up to a mile inland in places, swallowing up villages and causing widespread destruction. Samoa, Tonga and American Samoa recorded 189 casualties, many of them children, but further loss of life was avoided due to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, which gave people time to evacuate to higher ground.