Historical tsunamis · Nov 10, 1938, 8:18 PM UTC
1938 Shumagin Islands, Ak tsunami
United States
The tsunami of Nov 10, 1938, 8:18 PM UTC originated near Shumagin Islands, Ak (United States).
Key facts
- Date
- Nov 10, 1938, 8:18 PM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Magnitude
- M8.2
- Depth
- 25 km
- Maximum documented water height
- 0.30 m
- Observation records
- 9
- Countries affected
- 2
It was triggered by a magnitude 8.2 earthquake at a depth of 25 km.
The highest documented water height was 0.30 m (Hilo, Hawaii, Hi, United States).
9 observation sites in 2 countries are recorded.
Outside the source country, the earliest documented arrival was at Tofino (Clayoquot),British Columbia (Canada) after 3:52 h.
Map of observation sites
9Each 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 10, 1938, 8:18 PM UTC
- 1:30 hUnited States · Seward, Ak · 0.08 m
- 3:52 hCanada · Tofino (Clayoquot),British Columbia · 0.14 m
8 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 8 | 0.30 m Hilo, Hawaii, Hi | — | 1:30 h |
 Canada | 1 | 0.14 m Tofino (Clayoquot),British Columbia | — | 3:52 h |
Highest documented water heights
9 / 9Individual 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hilo, Hawaii, Hi · Hi | 0.30 m | 3,978 km | United States |
| Crescent City, Ca · Ca | 0.18 m | 2,904 km | United States |
| Tofino (Clayoquot),British Columbia · Bc | 0.14 m | 2,298 km | Canada |
| Honolulu, Oahu, Hi · Hi | 0.10 m | 3,794 km | United States |
| San Diego, Ca · Ca | 0.10 m | 4,062 km | United States |
| Unalaska, Dutch Harbor, Ak · Ak | 0.10 m | 554 km | United States |
| Seward, Ak · Ak | 0.08 m | 740 km | United States |
| Sitka, Ak · Ak | 0.08 m | 1,431 km | United States |
| Santa Monica, Ca · Ca | 0.05 m | 3,873 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.