Historical tsunamis · Apr 13, 1923, 3:31 PM UTC
1923 Kamchatka tsunami
Russia
The tsunami of Apr 13, 1923, 3:31 PM UTC originated near Kamchatka (Russia).
Key facts
- Date
- Apr 13, 1923, 3:31 PM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Magnitude
- M7.2
- Depth
- 20 km
- Maximum documented water height
- 20.0 m
- Deaths
- 18
- Houses destroyed
- many (about 101–1,000)
- Damage
- severe (about US$ 5–25 million)
- Observation records
- 10
- Countries affected
- 4
It was triggered by a magnitude 7.2 earthquake at a depth of 20 km.
The highest documented water height was 20.0 m (Ust'kamchatsk, Kamchatka, Russia).
10 observation sites in 4 countries are recorded.
Outside the source country, the earliest documented arrival was at Hanasaki (Japan) after 3:36 h.
The database records 18 deaths.
Houses destroyed: many (about 101–1,000).
Damage is estimated at severe (about US$ 5–25 million).
Map of observation sites
10Each 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) · Apr 13, 1923, 3:31 PM UTC
- 3:36 hJapan · Hanasaki · 0.07 m
- 6:36 hUnited States · Honolulu, Oahu, Hi · 0.20 m
- 8:56 hCanada · Tofino (Clayoquot),British Columbia · 0.08 m
7 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Russia | 2 | 20.0 m Ust'kamchatsk, Kamchatka | 18 | — |
 United States | 5 | 1.80 m Los Angeles, Ca | — | 6:36 h |
 Japan | 2 | 0.17 m Ayukawa | — | 3:36 h |
 Canada | 1 | 0.08 m Tofino (Clayoquot),British Columbia | — | 8:56 h |
Highest documented water heights
10 / 10Individual 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ust'kamchatsk, Kamchatka · Kamchatka | 20.00 m | 29 km | Russia |
| Bering Island, Commander Islands · Kamchatka | 4.00 m | 286 km | Russia |
| Los Angeles, Ca · Ca | 1.80 m | 6,322 km | United States |
| Hilo, Hawaii, Hi · Hi | 0.30 m | 5,374 km | United States |
| Honolulu, Oahu, Hi · Hi | 0.20 m | 5,076 km | United States |
| Ayukawa · Miyagi | 0.17 m | 2,549 km | Japan |
| San Francisco, Ca · Ca | 0.15 m | 5,730 km | United States |
| San Diego, Ca · Ca | 0.10 m | 6,472 km | United States |
| Tofino (Clayoquot),British Columbia · Bc | 0.08 m | 4,669 km | Canada |
| Hanasaki · Hokkaido | 0.07 m | 1,898 km | Japan |
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.