February 14, 1908 Tsunami: Prince William Sound, AK, United States
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 6 earthquake and a landslide began at Prince William Sound, AK, United States on February 14, 1908 at 11:25:00 UTC. 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
The tsunami
- Date
- February 14, 1908, 11:25:00 UTC
- Source
- Prince William Sound, AK, United States
- Cause
- Earthquake and landslide
- Earthquake
- Magnitude 6
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Very doubtful tsunami
- Source location
- 61.000° N, 146.200° W
The toll
- Damage
- Limited (under about $1 million) with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
Where the literature gives no number, NCEI records a description on a scale of 1 to 4, printed here in its words. Damage is in millions of US dollars of the year of the event, not adjusted for inflation.
What the record says
NCEI’s account, from the sources it cites.
This magnitude 6 earthquake was strong at Valdez, where it upset bottles and vases and threw objects from shelves in all the stores. Valdez-Sitka and Valdez-Seward submarine cables broke well inside the Valdez Narrows, close to Valdez. A ship approaching the Valdez dock reported it felt as though the ship had struck bottom. The earthquake was also felt at Cordova, Ellamar, Katalla, Landlock, and Latouche (Reference #542).
There was no noticeable tsunami [in one place in the text cited, the term "tidal waves" is used incorrectly in describing the seaquake] (Reference #415).
Every runup
Nearest the source first. Heights are above sea level at the time; a tide gauge reads half the wave’s full height.
| Where | Country | Km from source | Water height, m | Inland, m | Measured by | First wave, UTC | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Valdez, AK, AK doubtful | United States | 16 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1908The 1900sTsunamis of United StatesThe earthquakeThis 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 1368.