Tsunamis and earthquakes in Indonesia: a chronicle of the region's natural disasters. The largest tsunamis Tsunami in Papua New Guinea

Water flowing through natural streams and rivers, living in the seas, changes the topography of the earth, washing away loose rocks and removing debris. But there are also extremely painful conditions in which water becomes a real formidable weapon, killing and destroying everything in its path.

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The most terrible destructive effect is caused by such rare and terrible attacks of water as huge tsunami waves that wash away everything from the surface of the earth. Such waves arise as a result of underwater earthquakes. Recently, the water element of the earth has increasingly been causing trouble for residents of coastal zones. Perhaps we humans are not treating our planet with due respect. We do not take into account the speed of flows and trajectories of movement, we build where we cannot, we destroy what is not supposed to be. We drain, flood, drive into concrete and change direction. Suffice it to recall the numerous man-made reservoirs, dams, hydroelectric power stations and many other things that people create, sometimes without calculating the consequences of their actions.

Alaska earthquake and tsunami, 1964

March 27, 1964 was Good Friday, but the Christian day of worship was interrupted by a 9.2 magnitude earthquake - the strongest ever recorded in North American history. Subsequent tsunamis wiped out the western North American coastline (also hitting Hawaii and Japan), killing 121 people. Waves of up to 30 meters were recorded and a 10 meter tsunami wiped out the tiny Alaskan village of Chenega.

Samoa earthquake and tsunami, 2009

In 2009, the Samoan Islands experienced a magnitude 8.1 earthquake at 7:00 am on September 29th. Tsunamis up to 15 meters high followed, traveling miles inland, engulfing villages and causing widespread destruction. 189 people died, many of them children, but further loss of life was spared because the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center gave people time to evacuate to higher ground.

1993 Hokkaido earthquake and tsunami

On July 12th, 1993, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake occurred 80 miles off the coast of Hokkaido, Japan. Japanese authorities responded quickly, issuing a tsunami warning, but the small island of Okushiri was beyond the relief zone. Within minutes of the earthquake, the island was covered by giant waves - some of which reached 30 meters in height. 197 of the 250 tsunami victims were residents of Okushiri. Although some were saved by memories of the 1983 tsunami that hit the island 10 years earlier, forcing a rapid evacuation.

1979 Tumaco earthquake and tsunami

At 8:00 am on December 12th, 1979, a magnitude 7.9 earthquake began near Colombia and the Pacific coast of Ecuador. The tsunami that followed destroyed six fishing villages and much of the city of Tumaco, as well as several other Colombian coastal towns. 259 people died, while 798 were injured and 95 were missing.

2006 Java earthquake and tsunami

On July 17th, 2006, a magnitude 7.7 earthquake shook the seabed near Java. A 7 meter high tsunami slammed into the Indonesian coast, including 100 miles of coastline in Java, which was fortunately spared by the 2004 tsunami. The waves penetrated more than a mile inland, leveling communities and the seaside resort of Pangandaran. At least 668 people died, 65 died, and more than 9,000 required medical attention.

1998 Papua New Guinea earthquake and tsunami

A magnitude 7 earthquake struck the northern coast of Papua New Guinea on July 17, 1998, without itself causing a large tsunami. However, the earthquake caused a large underwater landslide, which in turn produced waves 15 meters high. When the tsunami hit the coast, it caused at least 2,183 deaths, 500 missing people, and made approximately 10,000 residents homeless. Numerous villages were heavily damaged, while others, such as Arop and Varapu, were completely destroyed. The only positive thing was that it gave scientists valuable insight into the threat of underwater landslides and the unexpected tsunamis they can cause, which could save lives in the future.

1976 Moro Bay earthquake and tsunami

In the early morning of August 16th, 1976, the small island of Mindanao in the Philippines was struck by an earthquake with a magnitude of at least 7.9. The earthquake caused a huge tsunami that crashed into 433 miles of coastline, where residents were unaware of the danger and did not have time to escape to higher ground. Overall, 5,000 people were killed and another 2,200 were missing, 9,500 were injured and more than 90,000 residents were left homeless. Cities and regions throughout the Northern Celebes Sea region of the Philippines were wiped out by the tsunami, which is considered among the worst natural disasters in the country's history.

1960 Valdivia earthquake and tsunami

In 1960, the world experienced the strongest earthquake since such events began to be tracked. On May 22nd, the 9.5 Great Chile Earthquake began off the south coast of central Chile, causing a volcanic eruption and a devastating tsunami. Waves reached 25 meters high in some areas, while a tsunami also swept across the Pacific Ocean, hitting Hawaii about 15 hours after the quake and killing 61 people. Seven hours later, waves hit the coast of Japan, causing 142 deaths. A total of 6,000 died.

2011 Tohuku earthquake and tsunami

While all tsunamis are dangerous, the 2011 Tohuku Tsunami that hit Japan has some of the worst consequences. On March 11th, waves of 11 meters were recorded after the 9.0 earthquake, although some reports mention terrifying heights of up to 40 meters with waves traveling 6 miles inland, as well as a colossal 30 meter wave that crashed into the coastal town of Ofunato. Approximately 125,000 buildings were damaged or destroyed, and transport infrastructure suffered heavy damage. With approximately 25,000 people killed, the tsunami also damaged the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant, causing an International Nuclear Disaster. The full consequences of this nuclear disaster are still unclear, but radiation was detected 200 miles from the plant.

2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami

The world was stunned by the deadly tsunami that hit countries surrounding the Indian Ocean on December 26, 2004. The tsunami was the deadliest ever, with more than 230,000 casualties, affecting people in 14 countries, with the largest numbers affected in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and Thailand. The powerful undersea earthquake had a magnitude of up to 9.3, and the deadly waves it caused reached 30 meters in height. Massive tsunamis inundated some coastlines within 15 minutes and some as much as 7 hours after the initial earthquake. Despite having time to prepare for the impact of waves in some places, the lack of a tsunami warning system in the Indian Ocean meant that most coastal areas were caught by surprise. However, some places were saved thanks to local superstitions and even the knowledge of children who learned about the tsunami at school.

Nature sometimes surprises the inhabitants of the planet with various surprises, most of which actually turn out to be catastrophes and natural disasters. Such disasters claim a huge number of lives and cause significant damage to cities. Earthquakes were no exception, during which coastal residents wait with bated breath for the next disaster - a tsunami. Water during a tsunami can destroy everything in its path, and its strength depends on the magnitude of the earthquake. Even scientists with their latest technologies cannot predict the exact occurrence of a tsunami, and not everyone manages to escape.
The most destructive tsunamis:

• 1. Indian Ocean, December 26, 2004
• 5. Chile. May 22, 1960

Indian Ocean, December 26, 2004

The Indian Ocean did not remain calm that day either. At first, the whole of Southeast Asia was frightened by a terrible earthquake, which lasted almost 10 minutes and had a magnitude of more than 9 points. It began near the island of Sumatra. This earthquake caused a terrible and destructive tsunami, which killed more than 200,000 people.

A huge wave swept across the Indian Ocean at a speed of approximately 800 km/h and caused irreparable damage to all coastal regions. Sumatra and Java were the first to be affected, followed by Thailand. A few hours later, waves hit Somalia, India, the Maldives, Bangladesh and other countries. The Maldives, for example, are almost completely under water, since they do not rise much above sea level. These islands were saved by coral reefs, which absorbed the main force of the tsunami. Then the wave dealt a devastating blow to the African coast, where several hundred people were injured.

The awakening of the Krakatoa volcano in 1883 brought monstrous consequences. Its eruption caused destruction and loss of life on the nearby islands of Sumatra and Java. The first eruption shocked the population of the islands, but no one could have imagined what kind of casualties it would lead to. The second eruption caused not only a monstrous explosion, but also a gigantic wave. In the blink of an eye, it destroyed the cities of Asnieres and Mark and washed away 295 villages into the ocean.

More than 35 thousand people, and hundreds of thousands of people were left homeless. The wave was so strong that it was able to lift a Dutch warship to a height of 9 meters. It traveled around the globe several times. The consequences of the tsunami were felt by all coastal cities of the world, although not on the same scale as the islands directly next to the Krakatoa volcano.

The terrible consequences of the tsunami in Japan horrified the whole world. The magnitude 9 earthquake even received an official name, and the height of the tsunami waves averaged 11 meters. Sometimes the waves reached 40 meters in height. It’s hard to even imagine the destructive effect of a tsunami of such enormous force. The wave literally penetrated deep into the country in minutes, sweeping populated areas out of its path and throwing cars and ships to the sides.

Died 25 thousand people, the same number were declared missing. Echoes of the natural disaster even reached Chile. There was also an environmental disaster - the nuclear power plant was destroyed due to a terrible tsunami. This caused severe radiation pollution, and an area 20 km around the power plant became an exclusion zone. The Japanese will now need at least 50 years to eliminate all the consequences of the accident.

Another earthquake here ended in a terrible disaster that claimed thousands of lives. It triggered a massive underwater landslide that triggered a tsunami. There were three huge waves in total and they moved one after another with a short period of time. The greatest destruction occurred in the Sissano Lagoon.

Died more than 2,000 people, and even more people were left homeless. Hundreds of people are missing. The water washed away all coastal villages, and after the natural disaster, 100 square meters. m. of the coastline went under water, forming a large lagoon. There was a lot of controversy about what happened, because it was possible to warn people about the disaster (the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center was aware of the possibility of a tsunami), and the local residents themselves, knowing about the danger, did not hide. Some even specifically went to see where such noise was coming from.

The earthquake and subsequent tsunami caused terrible damage to the Chilean coast. About a thousand people died in a small fishing village that was in the path of the tsunami, and the port of Ankund was completely washed away from the shore. Eyewitnesses say that the water in the sea first rose and then began to move away from the shores, forming a huge wave. Many residents decided to try to escape by going out into the ocean on boats. Approximately 700 people fled their homes in hopes of escaping the disaster, but none returned. Then the wave, having fun off the coast of Chile, went further into the ocean. There she washed away a huge stone structure from the shores of Easter Island and reached the Hawaiian Islands.

In Hawaii, it destroyed and washed most of the buildings and cars into the ocean. 60 people died. California was also affected, with 30 ships sank and several hundred gallons of fuel spilled into the water. Not calming down, the tsunami hit Japan. Here a real catastrophe unfolded - 122 dead and thousands of buildings washed out to sea. According to some reports, 5 thousand buildings were destroyed in Japan. A few days later, a new disaster happened in Chile - 14 volcanoes “awakened”.

Nature, unfortunately, cannot be controlled or trained. Natural disasters most often cannot be prevented, but you can be prepared for them. You should also know what to do if you find yourself in such a disaster. The main thing is to be able to concentrate and not panic, and, of course, no one canceled assistance to other victims.

The largest tsunami, like any other tsunami, is the formation of a large wave, the impact of which is caused by a strong earthquake. The mass of water becomes so crushing that it is capable of destroying even coastal houses, and sometimes even demolishing entire villages and towns.

As a rule, the speed of tsunami waves during the formation process exceeds several times the speed of the wind itself that created the wave. In this material we will talk about the process of the appearance of large waves in the seas and oceans, about their crushing energy, and we will also tell you where the largest tsunamis in the world were observed. For convenience, we have compiled a top list of the most devastating tsunamis in history.

Top largest tsunamis in the world

10. Tsunami on the coast of Japan (2004)

This tsunami was caused by two strong earthquakes that occurred 130 km from the coast of Kochi and 110 km from the coast of the Kii Peninsula. The earthquake magnitudes were 7.3 and 6.8, respectively. In this case, the tsunami wave caused was one meter in length. As a result of the earthquake and tsunami, dozens of people were injured.

9. Tsunami in the Solomon Islands (2007)

This tsunami was caused by a powerful earthquake with a total magnitude of 8, which occurred in the southern waters of the Pacific Ocean. In New Guinea, tsunami waves reached more than one meter in height. The tsunami killed 52 people.

8. Tsunami that occurred in Concepción, Chile (2010)

Tremors with a magnitude of 8.8 triggered a powerful tsunami 115 kilometers north of central Chile, near the city of Concepcion. The wave height in this case reached three meters. On that day, February 27, 2010, the tsunami killed more than a hundred people.

7. Tsunami in Papua New Guinea (1998)

This powerful tsunami on the northwestern coast of New Guinea was caused by a powerful water landslide, which was triggered by a magnitude 7 earthquake. The height of the tsunami wave reached three meters. The earthquake, landslide and tsunami killed 2 thousand people. This is considered one of the biggest tragedies due to a natural disaster in the 90s of the last century.

6. Tsunami in Alaska, USA (1957)

The tsunami, caused by an earthquake with an almost maximum amplitude of 9.1 points, back in 1957, in Alaska, consisted of two huge waves, 15 and 8 meters high, respectively. As a result of these cataclysms, the Vsevidov volcano, located on the island of Umnak, awakened, the activity of which had not been observed for 200 years. The disaster claimed the lives of more than 300 people.

5. Tsunami in Severo-Kurilsk, USSR (1952)

This tsunami was caused by the most powerful earthquake on the Kamchatka coast, with a magnitude of 9. Three crushing waves with a height of 15 to 18 meters hit the city of Severo-Kurilsk at once, which completely destroyed the entire city and claimed the lives of almost 3 thousand people. This is one of the most terrible disasters in the history of the USSR.

4. Tsunami on the islands of Izu and Miyake, eastern Japan (2005)

A moderate earthquake of magnitude 6.8 caused waves of unprecedented height (50 meters) in eastern Japan. Fortunately, as a result of such a powerful tsunami, not a single person was injured on the islands. All thanks to timely warning. The entire population was evacuated from potentially dangerous areas.

3. Tsunami of Lituya Bay, southwest Alaska, USA (1958)

This tsunami was caused by an earthquake that triggered a massive landslide that came down from Mount Lituya, located just above the bay just north of the bay, right on the Fairweather Fault. The landslide brought down about 300 cubic million of earth, rock fragments and ice, causing a wave 53 meters high and traveling at 160 km/h.

2. The strongest tsunami in Alaska, USA (1964)

In 1964, the strongest earthquake in history occurred in Alaska with a total magnitude of 9.2. The earthquake occurred in Prince William Sound and caused several dozen powerful waves. The length of the largest wave was 67 meters. The disaster claimed the lives of 150 people.

1. Tsunami that occurred in Southeast Asia (2004)

The largest tsunami in the world in history became a real nightmare for three countries in Southeast Asia. The earthquake with a magnitude of 9.3 caused a series of continuous waves, the height of which reached up to 90 meters. The tsunami killed 180 thousand people in Indonesia, another 39 thousand in Sri Lanka and 5 thousand in Thailand. The total number of deaths was almost 240 thousand people. Unprecedented damage was caused to the infrastructure of south-eastern countries.

Videos of its destruction are still terrifying, 11 years later:

Interesting facts: the process of creating a tsunami

The process of the emergence of large and crushing waves is mainly accompanied by strong underground and underwater tremors, the vibrations of which cause a tsunami. But tsunamis are often caused by strong winds that can move water layers at very high speeds. Waves can accelerate to several tens of kilometers per hour and be more than a hundred meters in length. Such waves, as a rule, can travel vast distances across the sea and ocean, which causes danger. But in most cases, the kinetic energy of such waves fades very quickly due to insufficient wind speed.

Tsunamis are waves that extend over a long period of time and have enormous destructive power. Originating in one point of the ocean, with lightning speed they reach territories remote over vast distances, wreaking havoc, destruction and death. The name of this natural phenomenon was given by the inhabitants of the Land of the Rising Sun. The literal translation of the Japanese word tsunami is “harbor waves.” The occurrence of a tsunami is associated with earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, underwater explosions, landslides, and the fall of large celestial bodies. The biggest tsunamis, which were observed in the last hundred years, were caused by strong earthquakes.

Tsunami in Severo-Kurilsk (USSR). 1952

An hour after the powerful earthquake, the first wave arrived in the city of Severo-Kurilsk and villages located on the coast of Kamchatka and the Kuril Islands. It was followed by two more with a height of 15 to 18 meters. The city was destroyed. According to unofficial data, about 5 thousand (according to official data - 2 thousand) people died. The scale and consequences of the 1952 tsunami, as with most disasters in the Soviet Union, were classified.

The biggest tsunamis in the state of Alaska (USA). 1957-1964

An earthquake with a magnitude of 9.1 that occurred on the Andrean Islands in March 1957 caused a tsunami. Two waves 15 and 8 meters high caused the death of more than 300 people.

In July 1958, a wave of incredible height hit the coast in the Lituya Bay area. This event went down in the history of natural disasters as With the largest known to mankind. As a result of the earthquake, huge masses of soil and ice fell from the mountainside into the waters of the bay. A giant 150-meter wave formed. Traces of the destructive impact of the most impressive tsunami in the world were recorded at an altitude of 524 meters above sea level. 5 people died.

In March 1964, the world was rocked by a new report of a tsunami and the strongest earthquake in US history, which led to the appearance of giant waves. The magnitude of the Great Alaskan earthquake was 9.1-9.2. The total number of victims is 131 people, and the death of 122 of them, as well as serious destruction, are the consequences of the tsunami.

Largest tsunami in Papua New Guinea. 1998

The largest ever seen by the inhabitants of this island nation was caused by an earthquake accompanied by an underwater landslide. The wall of water that hit the coast reached 15 meters. The number of victims is more than 2 thousand people.

Tsunami of the 21st century

Since the beginning of the new millennium, Japan has suffered from such a destructive natural phenomenon as a tsunami three times. The first time was in 2004, the second time was in 2005. Then residents of coastal areas received a message about the tsunami in a timely manner and managed to leave dangerous areas.

In March 2011, 70 km from the nearest point on the Japanese coast, the strongest magnitude 9 earthquake in the history of the country occurred. The natural disaster caused damage to nuclear power plant reactors, which turned into sources of radioactive emissions. One of the most serious on the danger scale took only 10-30 minutes to reach the coast and destroy everything in its path. According to official sources, in 12 Japanese prefectures, 15,870 people died (data from September 5, 2012), thousands of people were injured, and a huge number of missing persons. Transport, residential real estate, and industrial enterprises were seriously damaged. Overall, the economic damage caused to Japan by the cataclysm was estimated at between $198 and $309 billion.

The most deadly natural disaster in modern human history is recognized as the natural disaster that erupted in the Indian Ocean on December 26, 2004, which arose as a result of underwater tremors with a force of 9.1-9.3, covering land areas located even 6900 km away (South Africa, Port Elizabeth ) from the epicenter. Thousands of people died in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, southern India and other countries. The fate of so many people carried away by the giant wave remains unknown, so it is impossible to give an exact number of casualties. Various experts agree that the death toll in this region at the end of 2004 reaches 225-300 thousand people.

A tsunami is a giant wave generated by seismic activity and rapidly moving across the surface of the water. These waves have caused a lot of harm to people throughout history, especially for residents of island countries.

More about tsunamis

The greatest geological activity, contributing to the emergence of the strongest waves, is observed in the waters of the Pacific Ocean. Over the last thousand years there have been at least a thousand of them, that is, on average one tsunami per year. In other oceans the statistics are much more modest. The vast majority of tsunamis are caused by a sudden drop or rise of the ocean floor. However, not every such event is fraught with a giant wave; there are other factors, for example, the depth of the source.

In addition to destruction and loss of life, waves can cause other harm. In particular, this is erosion and severe salinization of coastal land areas. Usually, the approaching catastrophe is first felt by birds and animals, which may behave unusually during this period. Within a few hours or even days, they try to escape away from the shore, and pets try in every possible way to make their owners understand this. This is due to the electromagnetic field. Animals are much more sensitive to it than humans, although some people experience severe headaches.

The moored ships have no chance of salvation

Having noticed the approaching tsunami, you need to take documents with you, gather children and other helpless relatives and go away from the dangerous place, trying to avoid bodies of water - rivers, canals, reservoirs, as well as fragile buildings like bridges or towers. What was the biggest tsunami in the world? Let us list the most famous cases.

July 1958, Alaska

On a summer day, a terrible natural disaster occurred in Lituya Bay. The bay protrudes into the land for about 11 kilometers, and, according to geologists, giant waves several hundred meters high have appeared here at least four times over the last hundred years. And in 1958, a powerful earthquake occurred in the northern part of the bay, from which houses collapsed, the coast collapsed, and many cracks formed. At the same time, a landslide that came down from the mountain swept across the bay and caused a wave of unprecedented height - 524 meters, which moved at a speed of 160 km/h.

The first to be affected were the people in the ships anchored in the bay. According to the stories, at first they were thrown out of their beds by a strong push. Having run out onto the deck, they could not immediately believe their eyes: the sea reared up, and even a powerful glacier, previously located far to the north, was carried along the sea and collapsed the bays into the water. It was like a nightmare. The water completely engulfed Cenotaph Island, spread over its highest point and, with its entire mass, crashed into the bay, causing another impressive wave. On the mountain slopes to the north, the largest tsunami in history tore away forests up to 600 meters in height.

The tsunami easily swept over the entire sandbank and tore off the forest cover from the nearby mountain slope

One of the longboats was picked up by the wave and thrown over the shallows into the ocean waters. The fishermen could see the trees below them. The ship crashed against rocks and trees, but the fishermen managed to survive and were later rescued. Another ship, by luck, remained in place, withstanding the tsunami, but the third sank; people from it are considered missing. Half an hour later, the surface of the water was completely calm, only strewn with uprooted trees, slowly floating towards the exit from the bay.

December 2004, Indian Ocean

On December 26, in the early morning, a powerful earthquake occurred near the island of Sumatra, part of Indonesia. Its power reached nine points. At the same time, a strong displacement of two tectonic plates occurred. In just an hour, 1,200 kilometers of rock moved fifteen meters, and with them the small islands located in the area. It was in connection with this displacement that the tsunami arose. Devastating consequences awaited the popular Thai resort of Phuket, although its residents and vacationers practically did not feel the initial tremors or did not pay attention to them.

What happened next was a complete surprise for the defenseless city. Warnings about the danger had not yet come from Indonesia, so people found themselves face to face with a huge tsunami completely unprepared. Everyone was minding their own business, when suddenly there was a sharp and strong low tide, leaving behind a lot of shells and other seafood. Residents were delighted with this catch, and tourists were delighted with the free souvenirs.

But very soon waves 30 meters high rolled towards the shore, sweeping away everything in their path. People desperately tried to escape, but the tsunami instantly swallowed many of them. Light bungalows are definitely lighter than houses of cards. Having retreated, the water left behind hundreds of human bodies and debris of buildings.

Almost 230,000 people became victims of the terrible disaster

On March 11, northeastern Japan was hit by a powerful earthquake measuring 9.0. According to scientists, an earthquake of this magnitude occurs once every six hundred years. It all started from a point 373 km from Tokyo and at a depth of 24,000 meters. The result of the shake-up was a devastating tsunami that almost completely covered 23 Japanese regions (in total, more than 62 settlements).

Due to a large tsunami, an accident occurred at the Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant, which had no protection from the waves. Water flooded the diesel generators responsible for the cooling system.

Thus, the power units overheated to a critical state, and a reaction began with a powerful release of hydrogen. This resulted in several explosions that destroyed buildings. A lot of radioactive substances were released into the environment.

The number of people killed in the disaster exceeded 20,000, and monetary damages exceeded $215 million. Six months after the incident, radiation continued to be found in food products, not only in the Fukushima area, but also far from it, although the volume of emissions was approximately 5 times less than Chernobyl.

The maximum wave height was 40 meters, which greatly exceeded the preliminary calculations of scientists

The largest earthquake in the history of mankind occurred in Chile on May 22 and resulted in three huge tsunamis. 5,000 people died and several fishing villages were completely wiped out. The waves also reached the coasts of the USA and Japan, from which these countries also suffered high losses. The earthquake occurred the day before, on May 21, and its continuation the next day had a huge force of 9.5 points and lasted at least ten minutes.

The resulting high wave caused irreparable damage - destruction, casualties, trees uprooted. It is not possible to provide exact numbers; all data is very approximate, since it was not possible to collect reliable statistics, except for eyewitness accounts. Some, for example, believe that there were not 5 thousand dead, but 10 thousand. One way or another, the disaster is simply stunning.

From the air, you can see the outlines of farms and villages underwater, stretching 100 kilometers from the former coastline

About ten thousand hectares of coastal lands were flooded, they are under water to this day. It was assumed that this was due to the fact that as a result of the shift of tectonic plates, sea levels rose. But it turned out that, on the contrary, the surface of the earth became lower.

A 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit the Philippines on August 16. A huge tsunami covered 700 kilometers of coastal territory, killing 5 thousand people and taking away another 2200. 9.5 thousand were injured, and almost one hundred thousand lost their homes.

The worst natural disaster in the history of the state completely destroyed several cities to the ground

On July 17, the northwestern part of the state was shaken by earthquakes with a magnitude of 7. For this reason, in the most remote part of the coast, a deadly wave rose high, the height of which reached 15 meters. More than 2 thousand people fell under it, and several thousand more were left homeless. Before the terrible tragedy, there was a small and very beautiful lagoon there, but due to the earthquake it was blocked by an underwater landslide. There have never been earthquakes of this magnitude in this area before, although smaller ones occur regularly.

As a result of the 1998 tragedy, a completely new large lagoon was formed

Another major tsunami also occurred in Alaska, just six years after the devastating 1958 wave. It all started with an earthquake measuring more than nine points. Already 120-150 people have died because of it. The resulting wave, almost 70 meters high, demolished three villages, taking 107 people with it. The wave then swept along the west coast of the United States, destroying several business offices in downtown Anchorage, as well as fish and crab processing plants on Kodiak Island. The ruins looked as if they had been bombed.

Then the tsunami moved to the city of Crescent City. Residents were warned and managed to evacuate, but later, deciding that there was no more danger, they returned to their homes. This was a big mistake. Strong waves flooded the streets of the city, overturning cars and filling all passages with debris from buildings. The events were truly terrible: the pier was practically twisted into a spiral, some houses moved from place to place.

Total damage was estimated at $400 million, and the President issued an executive order to reconstruct Alaska after the tragedy.

Powerful waves, as you can see, can be extremely dangerous. Like other natural disasters, terrible tsunamis often lead to devastating consequences and take lives. The only reassuring thing is that the residents of Russia do not have to worry in this regard; our regions are not too susceptible to such a disaster, except for certain regions, for example, the island of Sakhalin.