Historical tsunamis · Sep 7, 1918, 5:16 PM UTC
1918 S. Kuril Islands tsunami
Russia
The tsunami of Sep 7, 1918, 5:16 PM UTC originated near S. Kuril Islands (Russia).
Key facts
- Date
- Sep 7, 1918, 5:16 PM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Magnitude
- M8.2
- Depth
- 33 km
- Maximum documented water height
- 12.0 m
- Deaths
- 23
- Injuries
- 7
- Houses destroyed
- some (about 51–100)
- Damage
- moderate (about US$ 1–5 million)
- Observation records
- 18
- Countries affected
- 5
It was triggered by a magnitude 8.2 earthquake at a depth of 33 km.
The highest documented water height was 12.0 m (Opasnaia Bay, Urup I, Kurilskiye, Russia).
18 observation sites in 5 countries are recorded.
Outside the source country, the earliest documented arrival was at Hanasaki (Japan) after 1:18 h.
The database records 23 deaths.
Houses destroyed: some (about 51–100).
Damage is estimated at moderate (about US$ 1–5 million).
Map of observation sites
18Each dot is a documented observation site; colour and size show the observed water height. The triangle marks the source.
Tsunami arrival times
Documented arrival times from the NOAA/NCEI database, showing the earliest recorded location per country. Coverage is incomplete: a country without an entry was not necessarily spared.
- 0:00 hEarthquake (origin) · Sep 7, 1918, 5:16 PM UTC
- 0:30 hRussia · Opasnaia Bay, Urup I, Kurilskiye · 12.00 m
- 1:18 hJapan · Hanasaki · 0.55 m
- 7:06 hUnited States · Honolulu, Oahu, Hi · 0.30 m
- 8:32 hCanada · Tofino (Clayoquot),British Columbia · 0.08 m
- 9:42 hSamoa · Apia, Upolu Island · 0.20 m
10 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Russia | 2 | 12.0 m Opasnaia Bay, Urup I, Kurilskiye | 23 | 0:30 h |
 Japan | 10 | 3.00 m Futami Bay, Chichijima Island | — | 1:18 h |
 United States | 4 | 1.50 m Hilo, Hawaii, Hi | — | 7:06 h |
 Samoa | 1 | 0.20 m Apia, Upolu Island | — | 9:42 h |
 Canada | 1 | 0.08 m Tofino (Clayoquot),British Columbia | — | 8:32 h |
Highest documented water heights
15 / 18Individual documented observations for this event. Heights come from different measurement types and sources; not every location has a measured height.
| Location / station | Observed height | Distance from source | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opasnaia Bay, Urup I, Kurilskiye · Kuril Islands | 12.00 m | 116 km | Russia |
| Futami Bay, Chichijima Island · Bonin Is, Tokyo | 3.00 m | 2,203 km | Japan |
| Chernye, Urup I, Kurilskiye · Kuril Islands | 1.50 m | 124 km | Russia |
| Hilo, Hawaii, Hi · Hi | 1.50 m | 5,640 km | United States |
| Hanasaki · Hokkaido | 1.10 m | 533 km | Japan |
| Nemuroko · Hokkaido | 1.00 m | 528 km | Japan |
| Hanasaki · Hokkaido | 0.55 m | 533 km | Japan |
| Choshi · Chiba | 0.50 m | 1,405 km | Japan |
| Hakodate · Hokkaido | 0.50 m | 961 km | Japan |
| Ayukawa · Miyagi | 0.45 m | 1,151 km | Japan |
| Kii-Kushimoto · Wakayama | 0.32 m | 1,800 km | Japan |
| Honolulu, Oahu, Hi · Hi | 0.30 m | 5,306 km | United States |
| Apia, Upolu Island | 0.20 m | 7,538 km | Samoa |
| Hososhima · Miyazaki | 0.15 m | 2,238 km | Japan |
| Tofino (Clayoquot),British Columbia · Bc | 0.08 m | 5,935 km | Canada |
More tsunamis
Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), Global Historical Tsunami Database. Confirmed events only. Deaths and damage are database estimates; older records are incomplete. Water heights come from different types of observation.