Tsunamis in 2007

July 16, 2007 Tsunami: W Coast, Honshu, Japan

July 16, 2007 · 15 deaths · $13 billion · 1,331 houses destroyed · Definite tsunami

A tsunami caused by a magnitude 6.6 earthquake began at W Coast, Honshu, Japan on July 16, 2007 at 01:13:22 UTC. Its effects were recorded at 1 place. It killed 15 people, counting the earthquake or eruption that caused it.

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

Tsunami warnings in force

The tsunami

Date
July 16, 2007, 01:13:22 UTC
Source
W Coast, Honshu, Japan
Cause
Earthquake
Runups recorded
1
Warning
Tsunami Information or Attention Bulletin issued by any agency
Waters
Ocean
How certain
Definite tsunami
Source location
37.570° N, 138.478° E

The toll

Deaths
15 with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
Injuries
2,346 with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
Damage
$13 billion with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
Houses destroyed
1,331 with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
Houses damaged
43,343 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.

An earthquake occurred near the west coast of Honshu, Japan, about 70 km (45 miles) WSW of

Niigata or 245 km (155 miles) NNW of Tokyo at 7:13 PM MDT, Jul 15, 2007 (Jul 16 at 10:13 AM

local time in Japan). A minor tsunami was observed on Sado Island. (reference #1053)

Link to NGDC

Every runup

Nearest the source first. Heights are above sea level at the time; a tide gauge reads half the wave’s full height.

WhereCountryKm from sourceWater height, mInland, mMeasured byFirst wave, UTCDeaths
Sado IslandJapan48Eyewitness observation of water height

More

Every tsunami in 2007The 2000sTsunamis of JapanThe 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 3104.