August 19, 1953 Tsunami: Columbia River Valley, WA, United States
A tsunami caused by a landslide began at Columbia River Valley, WA, United States on August 19, 1953 at 19:00 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
- August 19, 1953, 19:00 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
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.
A landslide near Kettle Falls Beach, Roosevelt Lake, Washington, created a small wave which dislocated one of the floating walkways at the National Park Service facility. Since the part of the slide above the lake surface was small it must have been largely due to the collapse of the material below the surface. (Reference #237)
A landslide occurred in about the center of the farm terrace August 19, 1953, about 11:00 a.m. The slide created a small wave at the Kettle Falls beach of the National Park Service and dislocated one of the floating walkways. The part of the slide above the lake was small, but the part beneath the surface of the lake must have been larger to create such a wave. (reference #1695)
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 1839.