April 16, 1949 Tsunami: Puget Sound, WA, United States
A tsunami caused by a landslide began at Puget Sound, WA, United States on April 16, 1949 at 10:55 UTC. The water rose as high as 2.4 meters. 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
- April 16, 1949, 10:55 UTC
- Source
- Puget Sound, WA, United States
- Cause
- Landslide
- Maximum water height
- 2.4 m (7.9 ft)
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Definite tsunami
- Source location
- 47.300° N, 122.533° W
The toll
- 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.
Reference #237:
1949, April 16, 2:55 A.M. An eleven million cubic yard landslide occurred on Point Defiance, at the Tacoma Narrows when a 400 foot high cliff gave way and slid into the water. "The water receded 20-25 feet from its normal tide line with an ominous sucking sound. Then an eight foot tidal wave rushed back against the beach smashing small boats, dock areas, a wooden boardwalk and other waterfront installations" (Tacoma News-Tribune, April 18, 1949, p. 1).
There was a row of homes at Salmon Beach at the foot of the cliff which was narrowly missed by the slide but sustained the damage listed above. The opposite shore from the slide was uninhabited (Tacoma News-Tribune, April 17, 1949, pp. 1, 2).
Although this event occurred three days after the earthquake [1949, April 13, 19:56 UTC], it is the result of weakening of the cliff from the shaking. A crack remained on top of the cliff above the homes
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tacoma Narrows, WA, WA | United States | 5 | 2.4 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1949The 1900sTsunamis 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 1791.