2011 Honshu Island tsunami

Key facts

Date

Mar 11, 2011, 5:46 AM UTC

Cause

Earthquake

Magnitude

M9.1

Depth

29 km

Maximum documented water height

39.3 m

Deaths

18,423

Injuries

6,167

Houses destroyed

123,661

Damage

US$ 220,137 million

Observation records

6,406

Countries affected

36

Each 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.

1. 0:00 hEarthquake (origin) · Mar 11, 2011, 5:46 AM UTC
2. 0:00 hJapan · Ofunato · 8.00 m
3. 0:57 hRussia · D21401 Bpr, 250Nm SE of Itirup Is · 0.67 m
4. 2:58 hUnited States · D21415 Bpr, 175 Nm S of Attu, Ak · 0.27 m
5. 3:17 hUSA Territory · Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands · 0.80 m
6. 4:03 hMicronesia, Fed. States Of · Yap Island, Caroline Islands · 0.20 m
7. 4:14 hMarshall Islands, Rep. Of · D52402 Bpr, 790 Nm NW of Kwajalein · 0.11 m
8. 4:35 hPhilippines · Legaspi · 0.29 m
9. 4:43 hPalau · Malakal Island, Caroline Islands · 0.16 m
10. 5:44 hIndonesia · Holtekam Beach, Jayapura
11. 5:53 hNaoero · Nauru · 0.27 m
12. 5:56 hPapua New Guinea · Lombrum, Admiralty Islands · 1.08 m
13. 6:18 hKiribati · Betio, Tarawa · 0.27 m
14. 6:33 hSolomon Islands · D52406 Bpr, Honiara · 0.20 m
15. 8:01 hSamoa · D51425 Bpr, 370 Nm NW of Apia · 0.14 m
16. 8:55 hVanuatu · Port Vila, Efate Island · 0.80 m
17. 9:02 hCanada · Winter Harbor, British Columbia · 0.77 m

307 places with a documented arrival time

Observations by country

Country	Observation records	Maximum documented water height	Deaths	Earliest arrival
Japan	5498	55.9 m Iwate Prefecture, Tohoku Region	15,939	0:00 h
Ecuador	151	6.12 m Playa Tsunami, Isabela Island	—	17:37 h
United States	431	5.35 m Kealakekua Bay, Hawaii, Hi	1	2:58 h
French Polynesia	79	4.45 m Taipivai 4, Nuku Hiva	—	11:29 h
Indonesia	19	2.80 m Holtekamp Ii (Jembatan Muara)	1	5:44 h
Russia	34	2.50 m Coast of the Second Kuril Straight	—	0:57 h
Chile	20	2.45 m Arica	—	21:18 h
Mexico	14	1.70 m Manzanillo	—	12:26 h
USA Territory	9	1.57 m Midway Islands	—	3:17 h
Peru	6	1.50 m Pisco	—	20:17 h
Papua New Guinea	4	1.08 m Lombrum, Admiralty Islands	—	5:56 h
Costa Rica	17	1.00 m Cocos Island	—	17:37 h
Australia	13	1.00 m Merimbula	—	11:36 h
New Zealand	33	0.91 m Owenga, Chatham Island	—	11:33 h
Vanuatu	2	0.80 m Port Vila, Efate Island	—	8:55 h
Canada	29	0.79 m Patricia Bay, British Columbia	—	9:02 h
Norway	6	0.75 m Leikanger	—	—
Philippines	11	0.70 m Virac Catanduanes	—	4:35 h
Marshall Islands, Rep. Of	3	0.66 m Kwajalein, Marshall Islands	—	4:14 h
Tonga	1	0.60 m Nukualofa (Nuku'alofa)	—	10:38 h
China	2	0.55 m Shenjiamen	—	—
Kiribati	3	0.53 m Christmas Island, Line Islands	—	6:18 h
New Caledonia	1	0.50 m Ouinne	—	—
El Salvador	2	0.48 m Acajutla	—	16:48 h
UK Territory	2	0.33 m King Edward Is, South Georgia Is	—	—
Fiji	2	0.29 m Lautoka	—	9:44 h
Cook Islands	1	0.29 m Rarotonga	—	—
Naoero	1	0.27 m Nauru	—	5:53 h
Colombia	1	0.25 m Tumaco	—	19:00 h
Solomon Islands	2	0.21 m Honiara, Guadalcanal	—	6:33 h
Micronesia, Fed. States Of	2	0.20 m Yap Island, Caroline Islands	—	4:03 h
Palau	1	0.16 m Malakal Island, Caroline Islands	—	4:43 h
Samoa	1	0.14 m D51425 Bpr, 370 Nm NW of Apia	—	8:01 h
Brazil	1	0.11 m Arraial do Cabo	—	30:19 h
Panama	1	0.11 m D32411 Bpr, 710 Nm Wsw of Panama	—	16:36 h
Antarctica	3	0.10 m Vernadsky Faraday, Argentine Isl	—	21:44 h

Individual documented observations for this event. Heights come from different measurement types and sources; not every location has a measured height.

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