March 19, 1998 Tsunami: Western Norway
A tsunami caused by a landslide began at Western Norway on March 19, 1998 at 18:30 UTC. The water rose as high as 6 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
- March 19, 1998, 18:30 UTC
- Source
- Western Norway
- Cause
- Landslide
- Maximum water height
- 6 m (19.7 ft)
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Tsunami intensity (Soloviev-Imamura)
- 4
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Definite tsunami
- Source location
- 61.183° N, 5.267° E
The toll
- Damage
- Moderate (about $1 to $5 million)
- Houses damaged
- Some (about 51 to 100)
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.
Rock slide of 20-30 000 cubic meters in Sorefjorden, Hyllestad, Sogn og Fjordane. Run-up height exceeding 6 m on opposite side of the 1 km wide fjord. Extensive damage on quais and boat-houses. No perished. Tsunami intensity 4. (reference #4139)
1998 March 19, 18:30, 61.183 N 5.267 E (reference #11164)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sorefjorden, Hyllestad | Norway | 3 | 6 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1998The 1900sTsunamis of NorwayThis 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 4247.