November 17, 2003 Tsunami: Rat Islands, Aleutian Islands, AK, United States
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7.8 earthquake began at Rat Islands, Aleutian Islands, AK, United States on November 17, 2003 at 06:43:06 UTC. The water rose as high as 0.33 meters. Its effects were recorded at 20 places in at least 3 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
The tsunami
- Date
- November 17, 2003, 06:43:06 UTC
- Source
- Rat Islands, Aleutian Islands, AK, United States
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- Magnitude 7.8, 33 km deep
- Maximum water height
- 0.33 m (1.1 ft)
- Runups recorded
- 20
- Warning
- Tsunami Information or Attention Bulletin issued by any agency
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Definite tsunami
- Source location
- 51.146° N, 178.650° E
The toll
- Damage
- Limited (under about $1 million) 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.
On November 17, 2003, at 06:43:06.8 UTC, a magnitude 7.8 Mw earthquake in the Rat Islands, Aleutian Islands, Alaska, generated a small tsunami that was observed in Alaska, Hawaii, California, Oregon, Kiribati, and Chile. It was large enough to trigger the D171 deep ocean bottom pressure gauge located in the North 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 | 337 | 0.1 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 17, 07:45 | ||
| Shemya Island, AK, AK | United States | 359 | 0.26 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 17, 07:30 | ||
| Unalaska, Dutch Harbor, AK, AK | United States | 1,049 | 0.03 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| D171 Bpr, North Pacific Ocean, AK | United States | 1,239 | 0.04 | Deep ocean gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 17, 09:36 | ||
| Sand Point, AK, AK | United States | 1,461 | 0.04 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 17, 09:36 | ||
| French Frigate Shoals, HI, HI | United States | 3,293 | 0.06 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 17, 11:00 | ||
| Nawiliwili, Kauai, HI, HI | United States | 3,759 | 0.09 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 17, 11:35 | ||
| Honolulu, Oahu, HI, HI | United States | 3,890 | 0.03 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 17, 12:15 | ||
| Kahului, Maui, HI, HI | United States | 3,995 | 0.33 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 17, 11:57 | ||
| Kawaihae, Hawaii, HI, HI | United States | 4,110 | 0.06 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 17, 12:30 | ||
| Hilo, Hawaii, HI, HI | United States | 4,177 | 0.22 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 17, 12:00 | ||
| Charleston, OR, OR | United States | 4,299 | 0.05 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 17, 13:00 | ||
| Port Orford, OR, OR | United States | 4,315 | 0.11 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 17, 13:00 | ||
| North Spit, Humboldt Bay, CA, CA | United States | 4,456 | 0.05 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 17, 13:00 | ||
| Christmas Island, Line Islands | Kiribati | 5,891 | 0.04 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 17, 14:30 | ||
| Iquique | Chile | 13,205 | 0.04 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 18, 01:12 | ||
| Caldera | Chile | 13,711 | 0.15 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 18, 01:30 | ||
| San Antonio | Chile | 14,154 | 0.05 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 18, 01:35 | ||
| Puerto Montt | Chile | 14,620 | 0.04 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 18, 06:00 | ||
| San Pedro | Chile | 14,894 | 0.04 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) |
More
Every tsunami in 2003The 2000sTsunamis 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 2429.