February 14, 1953 Tsunami: Columbia River Valley, WA, United States
A tsunami caused by a landslide began at Columbia River Valley, WA, United States on February 14, 1953 at 16:15 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, 1953, 16:15 UTC
- Source
- Columbia River Valley, WA, United States
- Cause
- Landslide
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Waters
- A lake or river, not the ocean
- How certain
- Definite tsunami
- Source location
- 48.570° N, 118.150° 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.
Beginning on February 14 and continuing intermittently until February 19 about 100 miles upstream from Grand Coulee Dam landslides fell into Roosevelt Lake, Washington. Many large waves were formed on the lake. (Reference #237)
Reference #1695:
The initial failure mass at 8:15 p.m., February 14, 1953. Blocks of earth caved into the lake intermittently until February 19. Thunderous noises accompanied the initial failure and the subsequent caving. Many large waves were formed on the lake.
Note: location approximate
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 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1953The 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 1830.