May 7, 1986 Tsunami: Andreanof Islands, AK, United States
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 8 earthquake began at Andreanof Islands, AK, United States on May 7, 1986 at 22:47:10 UTC. The water rose as high as 0.9 meters. Its effects were recorded at 67 places in at least 14 countries.
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
Travel times
How long the first wave took to reach each part of the ocean, one line for each hour up to 24, estimated from the source and the depth of the sea.
The travel times are computed in your browser, which needs JavaScript.
- 1 to 4 hours
- 5 to 6 hours
- 7 to 14 hours
- 15 hours and more
Computed in your browser the way NOAA’s own travel time maps are: the wave travels at the square root of gravity times the depth, over NOAA’s ETOPO1 depths averaged to a 10 arc-minute grid. Checked against NOAA NCEI’s maps for 21 tsunamis over the first 24 hours, these lines fall within 10 minutes of NCEI’s at half the points compared and within 52 minutes at 9 in 10. They give when the first wave could arrive, not how high it is; bays, harbors and island chains finer than the grid can see it later. Not for use in a warning: see tsunami.gov.
The tsunami
- Date
- May 7, 1986, 22:47:10 UTC
- Source
- Andreanof Islands, AK, United States
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- Magnitude 8, 31 km deep
- Maximum water height
- 0.9 m (3.0 ft)
- Runups recorded
- 67
- Tsunami magnitude (Iida)
- -0.1
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Definite tsunami
- Source location
- 51.520° N, 174.776° W
The toll
- Damage
- Moderate (about $1 to $5 million) with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
- Houses damaged
- Some (about 51 to 100) 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.
This magnitude 7.7 earthquake caused slight damage to structures on Adak Island, as well as slight damage on Atka Island. The damage to buildings on Adak Island consisted of cracked masonry and concrete walls, failure of partitions and suspended ceilings, spalling on concrete beams and piers, and differential settlement of house foundations. Soil liquefaction was observed in localized areas of backfilled soil, and sand boils were observed. Laterally spreading cracks and differential ground settlement occurred along a small wharf. This earthquake caused a tsunami that was recorded throughout the Pacific Ocean.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adak, Sweeper Cove, AK, AK | United States | 134 | 0.88 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 7, 23:05 | ||
| Unalaska, Dutch Harbor, AK, AK | United States | 616 | 0.12 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 8, 00:22 | ||
| Sand Point, AK, AK | United States | 1,037 | 0.05 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 8, 00:47 | ||
| Nikolskoe, Bering I, Commander I | Russia | 1,339 | 0.09 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 8, 02:00 | ||
| Ust'Kamchatsk, Kamchatka | Russia | 1,581 | 0.04 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Kodiak Island, Womens Bay, AK, AK | United States | 1,586 | 0.03 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Seward, AK, AK | United States | 1,838 | 0.03 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Midway Islands, HI | US Territories | 2,597 | 0.34 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 8, 02:10 | ||
| Hanasaki | Japan | 3,088 | 0.12 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Kushiro | Japan | 3,188 | 0.11 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 7, 02:37 | ||
| Cape Scott, Vancouver Island, BC | Canada | 3,189 | 0.7 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Urakawa | Japan | 3,348 | 0.1 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Tomakomainishiko | Japan | 3,400 | 0.07 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Hanalei, Kauai, HI, HI | United States | 3,510 | 0.5 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Kapaa, Kauai, HI, HI | United States | 3,530 | 0.6 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Hachinohe | Japan | 3,535 | 0.11 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 7, 03:16 | ||
| Nawiliwili, Kauai, HI, HI | United States | 3,542 | 0.39 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Neah Bay, WA, WA | United States | 3,547 | 0.09 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Miyako | Japan | 3,561 | 0.09 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Kamaishi | Japan | 3,593 | 0.05 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Ofunato | Japan | 3,619 | 0.07 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 7, 02:10 | ||
| Honolulu, Oahu, HI, HI | United States | 3,660 | 0.2 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Toke Point, WA, WA | United States | 3,672 | 0.05 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Ayukawa | Japan | 3,685 | 0.15 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Ishinomaki | Japan | 3,693 | 0.02 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 8, 02:35 | ||
| Kahului, Maui, HI, HI | United States | 3,752 | 0.18 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Onahama | Japan | 3,821 | 0.08 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 7, 02:35 | ||
| Mahukona, Hawaii, HI, HI | United States | 3,847 | 0.09 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Johnston Island, HI | US Territories | 3,887 | 0.03 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, HI, HI | United States | 3,901 | 0.04 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Choshi | Japan | 3,908 | 0.04 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Hilo, Hawaii, HI, HI | United States | 3,926 | 0.28 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Wake Island, UM | US Territories | 3,930 | 0.05 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Crescent City, CA, CA | United States | 3,938 | 0.06 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Honuapo, Hawaii, HI, HI | United States | 3,974 | 0.09 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Tateyama | Japan | 4,033 | 0.08 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Mera | Japan | 4,040 | 0.15 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Okada | Japan | 4,080 | 0.07 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Minami-Izu | Japan | 4,126 | 0.11 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Miyake Island | Japan | 4,126 | 0.09 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Kozushima | Japan | 4,139 | 0.11 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Omaezaki | Japan | 4,172 | 0.12 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Yaene, Hachijo Island | Japan | 4,179 | 0.1 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Maisaka | Japan | 4,208 | 0.04 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Owase | Japan | 4,350 | 0.1 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Uragami | Japan | 4,410 | 0.09 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Kushimoto | Japan | 4,425 | 0.14 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Chichijima Island | Japan | 4,497 | 0.14 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 7, 03:02 | ||
| Murotomisaki | Japan | 4,551 | 0.11 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Tosa-Shimizu | Japan | 4,671 | 0.08 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 7, 04:46 | ||
| Shimonoseki | Japan | 4,723 | 0.04 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Aburatsu | Japan | 4,868 | 0.07 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Truk Islands, Caroline Islands | Micronesia | 5,771 | 0.03 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Apia, Upolu Island | Samoa | 7,245 | 0.03 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Pago Pago, American Samoa, AS | US Territories | 7,300 | 0.01 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Papeete, Tahiti | French Polynesia | 8,033 | 0.07 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Rarotonga | Cook Islands | 8,187 | 0.01 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Baltra Island | Ecuador | 9,664 | 0.02 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Fort Denison, Sydney Harbor | Australia | 10,024 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | ||||
| La Libertad | Ecuador | 10,469 | 0.07 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Lyttelton | New Zealand | 10,609 | 0.2 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Easter Island | Chile | 10,792 | 0.04 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Lobos DE Afuera | Peru | 10,889 | 0.03 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Callao LA Punta | Peru | 11,575 | 0.07 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Coquimbo | Chile | 13,451 | 0.22 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Valparaiso | Chile | 13,670 | 0.13 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Washington Coast, WA | United States | 0.46 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1986The 1900sTsunamis of United StatesThe earthquakeThis 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 2164.