Tsunamis in 2010

March 21, 2010 Tsunami: Severo-Kurilsk, Russia

March 21, 2010 · 0.45 m · Probable tsunami

A tsunami of meteorological origin began at Severo-Kurilsk, Russia on March 21, 2010. The water rose as high as 0.45 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

Tsunami warnings in force

The tsunami

Date
March 21, 2010
Source
Severo-Kurilsk, Russia
Cause
Meteorological
Maximum water height
0.45 m (1.5 ft)
Runups recorded
1
Waters
Ocean
How certain
Probable tsunami

The toll

The record gives no deaths, injuries or damage for this tsunami.

What the record says

NCEI’s account, from the sources it cites.

[…] the Kuril Main Ridge, where the most dangerous event to date is the meteotsunami of March 21, 2010. Its height was 90 cm (from foot to crest). It was recorded in the port of Severo-Kurilsk, Paramushir Island, by a telemetry recorder of the Tsunami Warning Service (TWS). The nature of the wave process in this case was quite unusual, since most often the most dangerous manifestations of meteotsunamis are associated with bays with pronounced resonance properties, which is not characteristic of Spokoiny Bay or the Second Kuril Strait, on the shores of which the port is located. (reference #14028)

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
Severo-Kurilsk, Paramushir IslandRussia0.45Deep ocean gauge (half the maximum wave height)

More

Every tsunami in 2010The 2000sTsunamis of RussiaThis 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 6027.