Historical tsunamis · Oct 27, 1936, 3:50 PM UTC
1936 Lituya Bay, Ak tsunami
United States
The tsunami of Oct 27, 1936, 3:50 PM UTC originated near Lituya Bay, Ak (United States).
Key facts
- Date
- Oct 27, 1936, 3:50 PM UTC
- Cause
- Landslide
- Maximum documented water height
- 149.4 m
- Houses destroyed
- 2
- Damage
- limited (under US$ 1 million)
- Observation records
- 1
- Countries affected
- 1
Cause according to NOAA/NCEI: Landslide.
The highest documented water height was 149.4 m (Lituya Bay, Ak, United States).
1 observation sites in 1 countries are recorded.
Houses destroyed: 2.
Damage is estimated at limited (under US$ 1 million).
Map of observation sites
1Each 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) · Oct 27, 1936, 3:50 PM UTC
- 0:20 hUnited States · Lituya Bay, Ak · 149.35 m
1 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 1 | 149.4 m Lituya Bay, Ak | — | 0:20 h |
Highest documented water heights
1 / 1Individual 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lituya Bay, Ak · Ak | 149.35 m | 28 km | United States |
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.