March 28, 1964 Tsunami: Prince William Sound, AK, United States

This magnitude 9.2 Mw earthquake and ensuing tsunami caused 139 deaths and $439 million in property loss. The earthquake caused 15 deaths and the tsunami caused 124 deaths (106 in Alaska, 13 in California and 5 in Oregon).

About 20 landslide tsunamis were generated; the tectonic tsunami devastated many towns along the Gulf of Alaska, left serious damage in British Columbia, Hawaii, and along the west coast of the U.S. (15 killed), and was recorded on tide gages in Cuba and Puerto Rico. Seiches were set up in the Gulf of Mexico and in many lakes in the United States. Waves with amplitudes up to 6 feet were reported from some locales in Texas and Louisiana.

In Washington two people were injured and two more suffered heart attacks. Damage to bridges and roads was at least $80,000. One fishing boat was wrecked. Several skiffs and fishing nets were lost ($4,000). At least 15 homes were damaged including three destroyed. Nine trailers were damaged and three cars were lost. One mile of sea bulkhead was lost.

In Oregon, four children were drowned and one woman suffered a fatal heart attack. Bridges, houses, trailers, cars, motel units and sea walls were destroyed at communities along the length of the coast. Damage estimates are uncertain but appear to be between $750,000 and $1,000,000. Most of the communities did not receive any warning.

In California there were thirteen fatalities including the death of a Wilmington longshoreman killed when a cable on a crane broke and dropped a loaded pallet on him. Twelve were injured in Crescent city during the early part of the disaster. Damage in California probably exceeded $17,000,000. Crescent City was the worst affected with about $15,000,000 of the damage occurring there. About $1,000,000 occurred inside San Francisco bay due to currents, a major source of damage on the southern California Coast. Late arriving surges also caused one death and considerable damage.

Reference #239:

The passage of seismic waves are a known cause of seiche at great distances from the source where the waves have had time to disperse. The seismic waves caused water to slosh out of swimming pools as far away as New Jersey and caused some damage to boats in Puget Sound and along the Gulf of Mexico.

Reference #2102

The seiche action was recorded on tide gages along the coast from Port Isabel, Tex. to Key West, Fla.; at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; and at San Juan, Puerto Rico...

The tsunami generated by the Prince William Sound Earthquake of March 28, 1964, was the largest since the 1960 Chilean tsunami.. 122 fatalities and over $104 million in damage resulted...

View a calculated tsunami-travel-time map.

Note: Most of the Travel Time numbers in the runups are from Leipold and Wood, 1969. This is Volume II of a definitive three-part publication on The Prince William Sound Earthquake.