Historical tsunamis · Dec 28, 1994, 12:19 PM UTC
1994 Tohuku, Japan tsunami
Japan
The tsunami of Dec 28, 1994, 12:19 PM UTC originated near Tohuku, Japan (Japan).
Key facts
- Date
- Dec 28, 1994, 12:19 PM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Magnitude
- M7.8
- Depth
- 27 km
- Maximum documented water height
- 0.53 m
- Deaths
- 3
- Injuries
- 200
- Damage
- US$ 170 million
- Observation records
- 13
- Countries affected
- 1
It was triggered by a magnitude 7.8 earthquake at a depth of 27 km.
The highest documented water height was 0.53 m.
13 observation sites in 1 countries are recorded.
The database records 3 deaths.
Damage is estimated at US$ 170 million.
Map of observation sites
13Each 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) · Dec 28, 1994, 12:19 PM UTC
- 0:26 hJapan · Miyako · 0.50 m
7 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | 13 | 0.50 m Hachinohe | — | 0:26 h |
Highest documented water heights
13 / 13Individual 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hachinohe · Aomori | 0.50 m | 160 km | Japan |
| Hachinohe (Kensetsukyoku) · Aomori | 0.50 m | 161 km | Japan |
| Miyako · Iwate | 0.50 m | 156 km | Japan |
| Ayukawa · Miyagi | 0.46 m | 297 km | Japan |
| Ofunato · Iwate | 0.27 m | 220 km | Japan |
| Hakodate · Hokkaido | 0.22 m | 262 km | Japan |
| Hakodateko · Hokkaido | 0.22 m | 265 km | Japan |
| Kushiro · Hokkaido | 0.22 m | 284 km | Japan |
| Urakawa · Hokkaido | 0.20 m | 190 km | Japan |
| Hanasaki · Hokkaido | 0.19 m | 354 km | Japan |
| Onahama · Fukushima | 0.15 m | 455 km | Japan |
| Mera · Chiba | 0.14 m | 698 km | Japan |
| Choshi · Chiba | 0.09 m | 575 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.