Historical tsunamis · Aug 22, 1949, 4:01 AM UTC
1949 British Columbia tsunami
Canada
The tsunami of Aug 22, 1949, 4:01 AM UTC originated near British Columbia (Canada).
Key facts
- Date
- Aug 22, 1949, 4:01 AM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake and landslide
- Magnitude
- M8.1
- Depth
- 25 km
- Maximum documented water height
- 0.61 m
- Observation records
- 9
- Countries affected
- 1
It was triggered by a magnitude 8.1 earthquake at a depth of 25 km.
The highest documented water height was 0.61 m (Revillagigedo Island, Ak, United States).
9 observation sites in 1 countries are recorded.
Outside the source country, the earliest documented arrival was at Hilo, Hawaii, Hi (United States) after 5:18 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) · Aug 22, 1949, 4:01 AM UTC
- 5:18 hUnited States · Hilo, Hawaii, Hi · 0.10 m
1 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 United States | 9 | 0.61 m Revillagigedo Island, Ak | — | 5:18 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revillagigedo Island, Ak · Ak | 0.61 m | 247 km | United States |
| Ketchikan, Ak · Ak | 0.50 m | 221 km | United States |
| Knutson Cove, Ak · Ak | 0.30 m | 241 km | United States |
| Hilo, Hawaii, Hi · Hi | 0.10 m | 4,195 km | United States |
| Honolulu, Oahu, Hi · Hi | 0.10 m | 4,146 km | United States |
| Port Allen, Kauai, Hi · Hi | 0.10 m | 4,161 km | United States |
| Sitka, Ak · Ak Classified as doubtful | 0.08 m | 406 km | United States |
| Blue Lake, Baranof Island, Ak · Ak | — | 404 km | United States |
| Wrangell, Ak · Ak | — | 325 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.