April 14, 2019 Tsunami: Lake Erie, United States
A tsunami of meteorological origin began at Lake Erie, United States on April 14, 2019 at 23:17 UTC. The water rose as high as 1.2 meters. Its effects were recorded at 2 places.
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
- April 14, 2019, 23:17 UTC
- Source
- Lake Erie, United States
- Cause
- Meteorological
- Maximum water height
- 1.2 m (3.9 ft)
- Runups recorded
- 2
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Definite tsunami
The toll
- Damage
- Limited (under about $1 million)
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.
According to eyewitness reports, there were 3 consequent waves with estimated heights of about 3.5 m. The entire event lasted about 10 min. Concrete blocks weighing 2 tons were moved for several meters, boat houses and some homes along the beach were flooded. The Geneva-on-the-Lake, Ohio marina sustained considerable damage to the docks, as the water level rose about 1.2 m and receded, all within about 10 min (Kirk Lombardy 2019, Pers. Comm.). The meteotsunami was also responsible for serious damage and depositing of debris at the Madison Township Park beach. According to Lombardy, the radar loops of the event showed that the meteotsunami had the character of anundular bore. (reference #12544)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geneva-On-The-Lake, OH, OH | United States | 1.2 | Eyewitness observation of water height | ||||
| Madison Township Park Beach, OH, OH | United States | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
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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 2026-10-01. NCEI tsunami event 5756.