Historical tsunamis · Nov 5, 1938, 8:43 AM UTC
1938 Sanriku tsunami
Japan
The tsunami of Nov 5, 1938, 8:43 AM UTC originated near Sanriku (Japan).
Key facts
- Date
- Nov 5, 1938, 8:43 AM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Magnitude
- M7.7
- Depth
- 30 km
- Maximum documented water height
- 0.57 m
- Deaths
- 1
- Houses destroyed
- 20
- Damage
- limited (under US$ 1 million)
- Observation records
- 17
- Countries affected
- 1
It was triggered by a magnitude 7.7 earthquake at a depth of 30 km.
The highest documented water height was 0.57 m (Hanabuchi (Shiogama), Japan).
17 observation sites in 1 countries are recorded.
The database records 1 deaths.
Houses destroyed: 20.
Damage is estimated at limited (under US$ 1 million).
Map of observation sites
17Each 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) · Nov 5, 1938, 8:43 AM UTC
- 0:30 hJapan · Choshi · 0.14 m
13 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | 17 | 0.57 m Hanabuchi (Shiogama) | — | 0:30 h |
Highest documented water heights
15 / 17Individual 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hanabuchi (Shiogama) · Miyagi | 0.57 m | 142 km | Japan |
| Onahama · Fukushima | 0.54 m | 74 km | Japan |
| Ayukawa · Miyagi | 0.52 m | 134 km | Japan |
| Iwai (Oarai) · Ibaraki | 0.44 m | 131 km | Japan |
| Tsukihama · Miyagi | 0.32 m | 164 km | Japan |
| Miyako · Iwate | 0.21 m | 284 km | Japan |
| Tanaka (Nakaminato) · Ibaraki | 0.21 m | 131 km | Japan |
| Oshima (Shiogamako) · Miyagi | 0.16 m | 147 km | Japan |
| Shiogama · Miyagi | 0.16 m | 147 km | Japan |
| Ishinomaki · Miyagi | 0.15 m | 151 km | Japan |
| Choshi · Chiba | 0.14 m | 167 km | Japan |
| Kesennumagyoko · Miyagi | 0.14 m | 200 km | Japan |
| Hachinohe · Aomori | 0.12 m | 381 km | Japan |
| Hakodate · Hokkaido | 0.05 m | 520 km | Japan |
| Hakodateko · Hokkaido | 0.03 m | 526 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.