Historical tsunamis · Feb 4, 1965, 5:01 AM UTC
1965 Rat Islands, Aleutian Islands, Ak tsunami
United States
The tsunami of Feb 4, 1965, 5:01 AM UTC originated near Rat Islands, Aleutian Islands, Ak (United States).
Key facts
- Date
- Feb 4, 1965, 5:01 AM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Magnitude
- M8.7
- Depth
- 30 km
- Maximum documented water height
- 10.7 m
- Damage
- US$ 0.0 million
- Observation records
- 83
- Countries affected
- 9
It was triggered by a magnitude 8.7 earthquake at a depth of 30 km.
The highest documented water height was 10.7 m.
83 observation sites in 9 countries are recorded.
Outside the source country, the earliest documented arrival was at Avachinskaia Bay, Kamchatka (Russia) after 1:40 h.
Damage is estimated at US$ 0.0 million.
Map of observation sites
83Each 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) · Feb 4, 1965, 5:01 AM UTC
- 0:36 hUnited States · Adak, Sweeper Cove, Ak · 0.46 m
- 1:40 hRussia · Avachinskaia Bay, Kamchatka · 0.09 m
- 3:00 hJapan · Mombetsu · 0.10 m
- 7:57 hCanada · Port Alberni, British Columbia · 0.15 m
32 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 17 | 10.7 m Shemya Island, Ak | — | 0:36 h |
 Japan | 52 | 0.55 m Kushimoto | — | 3:00 h |
 Mexico | 4 | 0.46 m Salina Cruz | — | — |
 Russia | 2 | 0.25 m Yuzhno-Kuril'sk, Kunashir Island | — | 1:40 h |
| USA Territory | 3 | 0.20 m Midway Islands | — | — |
 Ecuador | 1 | 0.20 m La Libertad | — | — |
 Peru | 2 | 0.15 m Callao la Punta | — | — |
 Canada | 1 | 0.15 m Port Alberni, British Columbia | — | 7:57 h |
| Marshall Islands, Rep. Of | 1 | 0.10 m Kwajalein, Marshall Islands | — | — |
Highest documented water heights
15 / 83Individual 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shemya Island, Ak · Ak | 10.67 m | 357 km | United States |
| Amchitka, Ak · Ak | 1.98 m | 43 km | United States |
| Attu, Massacre Bay, Ak · Ak | 1.58 m | 417 km | United States |
| N Kauai, Hi · Hi | 1.10 m | 3,733 km | United States |
| Santa Cruz, Ca · Ca | 0.61 m | 4,856 km | United States |
| Kushimoto · Wakayama | 0.55 m | 3,973 km | Japan |
| Ayukawa · Miyagi | 0.51 m | 3,232 km | Japan |
| Hachinohe · Aomori | 0.48 m | 3,081 km | Japan |
| Adak, Sweeper Cove, Ak · Ak | 0.46 m | 330 km | United States |
| Salina Cruz · Oaxaca | 0.46 m | 8,353 km | Mexico |
| Acapulco · Guerrero | 0.40 m | 7,970 km | Mexico |
| Kamaishi · Iwate | 0.40 m | 3,140 km | Japan |
| Naze · Kagoshima | 0.40 m | 4,796 km | Japan |
| Ofunato · Iwate | 0.38 m | 3,166 km | Japan |
| Tosa-Shimizu · Kochi | 0.36 m | 4,218 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.