Historical tsunamis · Nov 22, 1969, 11:09 PM UTC
1969 Kamchatka tsunami
Russia
The tsunami of Nov 22, 1969, 11:09 PM UTC originated near Kamchatka (Russia).
Key facts
- Date
- Nov 22, 1969, 11:09 PM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Magnitude
- M7.7
- Depth
- 51 km
- Maximum documented water height
- 15.0 m
- Damage
- limited (under US$ 1 million)
- Observation records
- 17
- Countries affected
- 4
It was triggered by a magnitude 7.7 earthquake at a depth of 51 km.
The highest documented water height was 15.0 m (Ol'khovaya River, Russia).
17 observation sites in 4 countries are recorded.
Outside the source country, the earliest documented arrival was at Port Alberni, British Columbia (Canada) after 8:21 h.
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 22, 1969, 11:09 PM UTC
- 0:15 hRussia · Ol'khovaya River · 15.00 m
- 8:21 hCanada · Port Alberni, British Columbia · 0.09 m
2 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Russia | 5 | 15.0 m Ol'khovaya River | — | 0:15 h |
 United States | 8 | 1.10 m Attu, Massacre Bay, Ak | — | — |
| USA Territory | 3 | 0.20 m Wake Island | — | — |
 Canada | 1 | 0.09 m Port Alberni, British Columbia | — | 8:21 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ol'khovaya River | 15.00 m | 24 km | Russia |
| Karaginskiy Bay · Kamchatka | 7.00 m | 130 km | Russia |
| Nikolskoe, Bering I, Commander I · Kamchatka | 2.50 m | 315 km | Russia |
| Attu, Massacre Bay, Ak · Ak | 1.10 m | 815 km | United States |
| Shemya Island, Ak · Ak | 0.88 m | 866 km | United States |
| Adak, Sweeper Cove, Ak · Ak | 0.30 m | 1,421 km | United States |
| Ust'kamchatsk, Kamchatka · Kamchatka | 0.20 m | 164 km | Russia |
| Wake Island · Um | 0.20 m | 4,271 km | USA Territory |
| Hilo, Hawaii, Hi · Hi | 0.10 m | 5,390 km | United States |
| Honolulu, Oahu, Hi · Hi | 0.10 m | 5,098 km | United States |
| Kahului, Maui, Hi · Hi | 0.10 m | 5,206 km | United States |
| Midway Islands · Hi | 0.10 m | 3,597 km | USA Territory |
| Nawiliwili, Kauai, Hi · Hi | 0.10 m | 4,963 km | United States |
| Unalaska, Dutch Harbor, Ak · Ak | 0.10 m | 1,904 km | United States |
| Port Alberni, British Columbia · Bc | 0.09 m | 4,615 km | Canada |
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.