Historical tsunamis · Nov 6, 1938, 8:53 AM UTC
1938 Off Fukushima Prefecture tsunami
Japan
The tsunami of Nov 6, 1938, 8:53 AM UTC originated near Off Fukushima Prefecture (Japan).
Key facts
- Date
- Nov 6, 1938, 8:53 AM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Magnitude
- M7.5
- Depth
- 0 km
- Maximum documented water height
- 1.26 m
- Observation records
- 15
- Countries affected
- 1
It was triggered by a magnitude 7.5 earthquake at a depth of 0 km.
The highest documented water height was 1.26 m.
15 observation sites in 1 countries are recorded.
Map of observation sites
15Each 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 6, 1938, 8:53 AM UTC
- 0:25 hJapan · Onahama · 0.19 m
12 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | 15 | 0.62 m Ayukawa | — | 0:25 h |
Highest documented water heights
15 / 15Individual 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ayukawa · Miyagi | 0.62 m | 93 km | Japan |
| Hanabuchi · Miyagi | 0.43 m | 109 km | Japan |
| Kesennumagyoko · Miyagi | 0.28 m | 156 km | Japan |
| Onagawa · Miyagi | 0.28 m | 108 km | Japan |
| Iwai (Oarai) · Ibaraki | 0.27 m | 169 km | Japan |
| Onahama · Fukushima | 0.19 m | 102 km | Japan |
| Miyako · Iwate | 0.11 m | 239 km | Japan |
| Tsukihama · Miyagi | 0.08 m | 122 km | Japan |
| Choshi · Chiba | 0.07 m | 211 km | Japan |
| Hachinohe · Aomori | 0.07 m | 338 km | Japan |
| Tanaka (Nakaminato) · Ibaraki | 0.07 m | 169 km | Japan |
| Ishinomaki · Miyagi | 0.05 m | 112 km | Japan |
| Oshima (Shiogamako) · Miyagi | 0.05 m | 113 km | Japan |
| Hakodateko · Hokkaido | 0.03 m | 484 km | Japan |
| Kushiro · Hokkaido | — | 645 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.