Tsunamis in 1826

October 22, 1826 Tsunami: Unimak Island, AK, United States

October 22, 1826 · Erroneous entry

A tsunami caused by a volcano began at Unimak Island, AK, United States on October 22, 1826. Its effects were recorded at 1 place.

Where the waves reached

The source (white) and every runup with a place, colored by the water height recorded there. A ring is a runup NCEI marks doubtful.

  • Under 1 m
  • 1 to 3 m
  • 3 to 10 m
  • 10 to 30 m
  • 30 m and more
  • Height not recorded

Tsunami warnings in force

The tsunami

Date
October 22, 1826
Source
Unimak Island, AK, United States
Cause
Volcano
Runups recorded
1
Waters
Ocean
How certain
Erroneous entry
Source location
55.000° N, 165.000° W

The toll

The record gives no deaths, injuries or damage for this tsunami.

What the record says

NCEI’s account, from the sources it cites.

The eruption of Shishaldin Volcano produced a substantial amount of ash, reportedly covering nearby islands shin-deep. It was dark for eight days on Unimak Island following the eruption, and a large number of wild hogs perished from cold and ash on Chernabura Island. There is no reported wave activity in accounts of this event; it is included as it may relate to accounts of events of 8/21/1825 and 8/8/27.

Every runup

Nearest the source first. Heights are above sea level at the time; a tide gauge reads half the wave’s full height.

WhereCountryKm from sourceWater height, mInland, mMeasured byFirst wave, UTCDeaths
Unimak Island, AK, AK doubtfulUnited States0Eyewitness observation of water height

More

Every tsunami in 1826The 1800sTsunamis of United StatesThis day in weather historyAlerts in force

Sources

Tsunami events and runups from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, Global Historical Hazard Database, cited as NCEI/WDS, doi:10.7289/V5PN93H7. Public domain. Read 2026-09-24. NCEI tsunami event 657.