February 23, 1951 Tsunami: Columbia River Valley, WA, United States
A tsunami caused by a landslide began at Columbia River Valley, WA, United States on February 23, 1951 at 16:45 UTC. The water rose as high as 3 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
- February 23, 1951, 16:45 UTC
- Source
- Columbia River Valley, WA, United States
- Cause
- Landslide
- Maximum water height
- 3 m (9.8 ft)
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Tsunami magnitude (Iida)
- 1.6
- Waters
- A lake or river, not the ocean
- How certain
- Definite tsunami
The toll
- Damage
- $3,000 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.
A 100,000 to 200,000 cubic yard landslide occurred north of Kettle Falls about 104 miles upstream of Grand Coulee Dam, Washington. It created a 300 foot spray upon hitting the water and generated a wave which picked up logs at the Harter Lumber Company mill and flung them through the sides of the mill ten feet above lake level. It caused $2,500 to $3,000 in damage there. (Reference #237)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F.D. Roosevelt Lake, WA, WA | United States | 3 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1951The 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 1814.