September 13, 1936 Tsunami: Loen, Norway
A tsunami caused by a landslide began at Loen, Norway on September 13, 1936. The water rose as high as 74 meters. Its effects were recorded at 5 places. It killed 73 people.
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
- September 13, 1936
- Source
- Loen, Norway
- Cause
- Landslide
- Maximum water height
- 74 m (242.8 ft)
- Runups recorded
- 5
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Definite tsunami
- Source location
- 61.870° N, 6.851° E
The toll
- Deaths
- 73
- Damage
- Limited (under about $1 million)
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.
5 a.m. local time. This is considered the second catastrophic rockslide of Ramnefjell; the first occurred in 1905. Rockslides in this area continued throughout 1936. This slide "destroyed the areas which were rebuilt after the 1905 slide, and in addition destroyed a greater area" (Reference #3962).
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yassenden | Norway | 0 | Eyewitness observation of water height | 2 | |||
| Bodal | Norway | 5 | 45 | Eyewitness observation of water height | 43 | ||
| Nesdal | Norway | 5 | 26 | Eyewitness observation of water height | 26 | ||
| Nesodden | Norway | 74 | Eyewitness observation of water height | ||||
| Mogranning | Norway | Eyewitness observation of water height | 2 |
More
Every tsunami in 1936The 1900sTsunamis of NorwayThis 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 3543.