Tsunami
A series of waves caused by an undersea earthquake, landslide or eruption. Every one the National Weather Service has filed, by year and by state, with the deadliest and costliest.
The deadliest and costliest on the map
The deadliest and costliest tsunami episodes on record.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The record
- Events
- 52
- Deaths
- 33
- Injuries
- 150
- Damage
- $159 million
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
Every year
Deaths each year
The deadliest
Deaths from this kind of event within each episode.
- Tsunami in American Samoa, September 29, 2009A tsunami wave affected all of American Samoa including neighboring Samoan Islands.|The tsunami was generated by a 7.9 earthquake that occurred about 120 miles southwest of Pago Pago. The wave went inland as far as 1 mile.
- Tsunami in California, March 11 to 13, 2011On March 10, a 9.1 earthquake off the west coast of Japan caused a tsunami that traveled across the Pacific Ocean in roughly ten hours. The first waves arrived on the coast of northern California around 9:30 a.m. on March 11 and continued for over three days.
The costliest
Damage from this kind of event within each episode, in the dollars of its year.
- Tsunami in American Samoa, September 29, 2009
- Tsunami in California, March 11 to 13, 2011
- Tsunami in Hawaii, March 11, 2011
- Tsunami in California, January 15, 2022
- Tsunami in California, November 15 to 16, 2006
- Tsunami in Oregon, March 11 to 12, 2011
- Tsunami in California, March 11 to 13, 2011
- Tsunami in California, July 30 to 31, 2025
- Tsunami in California, March 11 to 12, 2011
- Tsunami in California, February 27, 2010
- Tsunami in California, February 27, 2010
- Tsunami in Hawaii, July 29 to 30, 2025
- Tsunami in California, November 15, 2006
By state
| State or waters | Events | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 21 | 1 | 0 | $56 million |
| American Samoa | 17 | 32 | 148 | $81 million |
| Oregon | 4 | 0 | 0 | $7.5 million |
| New Jersey | 4 | 0 | 2 | |
| Hawaii | 2 | 0 | 0 | $14 million |
| Alaska | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| Delaware | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Washington | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Every kind of event
- Thunderstorm Wind
- Hail
- Flash Flood
- High Wind
- Winter Storm
- Drought
- Winter Weather
- Tornado
- Heavy Snow
- Flood
- Marine Thunderstorm Wind
- Heat
- Heavy Rain
- Strong Wind
- Excessive Heat
- Extreme Cold/Wind Chill
- Cold/Wind Chill
- Lightning
- Dense Fog
- Blizzard
- Frost/Freeze
- Ice Storm
- High Surf
- Funnel Cloud
- Wildfire
- Tropical Storm
- Waterspout
- Coastal Flood
- Lake-Effect Snow
- Debris Flow
- Hurricane (Typhoon)
- Dust Storm
- Rip Current
- Storm Surge/Tide
- Marine High Wind
- Sleet
- Avalanche
- Marine Hail
- Astronomical Low Tide
- Marine Tropical Storm
- Tropical Depression
- Freezing Fog
- Lakeshore Flood
- Dust Devil
- Marine Strong Wind
- Dense Smoke
- Marine Hurricane/Typhoon
- Volcanic Ashfall
- Seiche
- Sneakerwave
- Volcanic Ash
- Tsunami
- Marine Tropical Depression
- Marine Dense Fog
- Northern Lights
- Marine Lightning
- Hurricane
Sources
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24.