The 1964 Great Alaska Earthquake produced the most deadly tsunami event on the soil of the United States, wrecking lives of 124 people along coasts of Alaska, California, and Oregon. More recently, in July 2025, tsunami waves generated by an 8.8 magnitude earthquake off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula reached Hawaii and the U.S. West Coast, causing coastal flooding and prompting evacuations without fatalities as detailed here, What damage has been caused by the tsunami that hit Hawaii and California.
The 1964 Great Alaska Earthquake Tsunami
On March 27, 1964, after a magnitude 9.2, a megathrust earthquake occurred offshore Alaska and was able to generate a powerful tsunami that wrecked coastal parts of Alaska, California, and Oregon.
Affected coasts and cities
- Alaska: Prince William Sound region, which includes Valdez and Port Valdez; Chenega Village on Montague Island; Kodiak; Whittier; Seward; and Kenai Peninsula.
- California: Crescent City-soaked harbor and the balm of the undercoat
- Oregon: Coos Bay; Brookings
124 persons in total were recorded dead. 106 in Alaska; 13 in California; 5 in Oregon. The coastal infrastructure suffered severe damage, disastrous loss of homes, docks, and harbors.
Other remarkable tsunami events in USA
The 2011 Tōhoku Earthquake and Tsunami
The Tōhoku earthquake in 2011 registered a force of 9.1 and caused trans-Pacific tsunami waves that reached shores in the United States; Hawaii, California, and Oregon sustained property damage but little to no casualties in the U.S.
The 2022 Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai Volcanic Tsunami
The eruption of a volcano in Tonga caused tsunami waves that built up minor flooding in both the U.S. West Coast and Hawaii, without any casualties.
The tsunami event of July 2025 affecting Hawaii and the U.S. West Coast
On July 29, 2025, a powerful amplitude 8.8 hit offshore from the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia. Tsunami waves were the consequence of such a major seismic event and travelled all the way across the Pacific, reaching Hawaii, Alaska, California, and Oregon.
Impacts in Hawaii
The waves that struck up to 1.7 meters (5-5 feet) along the coastal areas of Hawaii were as recorded by gauges in Kahului, Maui, over 5 feet.
- Minor flooding in such lowland coastal areas was incurred by sea inundation, including parking lots and boat harbors.
- Tsunami warnings and evacuation orders issued to shore residents, with U.S. Coast Guard commanding vessels to leave harbors.
- Authorities advised people to move to upper ground or floors and emergency management agencies to be on high alert.
No fatalities or significant damages were reported; however, several flights were canceled because of safety concerns.
Impacts on the U.S. West Coast and Alaska
From Alaska to California and Oregon, various tsunami advisories and warnings came up, and those were precautionary harbor closures and advisories to stay away from beaches and waterfronts.
Wave heights were smaller in these areas compared to those at Hawaii, yet there were strong currents and waves that posed risks to swimmers and boats. No casualties or damage of any significant nature was reported.
Regional response and safety measures
As the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center coordinated alerts for the event, warnings were gradually downgraded as the threat waned. Local and state emergency agencies activated evacuation protocols and continued intense monitoring of coastal conditions.
In regard to the other most catastrophic tsunami, the lethality of this event basically depended on factors such as the magnitude of the earthquake, the proximity to populous areas in Alaska, the fact that there was no early warning system then, and local underwater landslides amplifying the waves. However, this threat of tsunami casualties has been greatly mitigated by improvements carried out by the modern public education tsunami warning systems.
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