February 13, 2021 Tsunami: Off Fukushima Prefecture, Japan
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7.1 earthquake began at Off Fukushima Prefecture, Japan on February 13, 2021 at 14:07:50 UTC. The water rose as high as 0.1 meters. Its effects were recorded at 4 places. It killed 1 person, 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
The tsunami
- Date
- February 13, 2021, 14:07:50 UTC
- Source
- Off Fukushima Prefecture, Japan
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- Magnitude 7.1, 49 km deep
- Maximum water height
- 0.1 m (0.3 ft)
- Runups recorded
- 4
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Definite tsunami
- Source location
- 37.745° N, 141.749° E
The toll
- Deaths
- 1 with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
- Injuries
- 186 with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
- Damage
- $7.7 billion with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
- Houses destroyed
- 798 with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
- Houses damaged
- 19,758 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.
This event caused tsunami observed along the coasts of Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures, such as that of 0.2 m (preliminary) at Ishinomaki Port observatory (Ports and Harbours Bureau), Ishinomaki City, Miyagi prefecture. (reference #13103)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soma | Japan | 70 | 0.05 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Ishinomaki | Japan | 86 | 0.1 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Sendaishinko | Japan | 86 | 0.05 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Aikawa, Ishimaki | Japan | 98 | 0.05 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) |
More
Every tsunami in 2021The 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 5823.