Highest tsunami before the 21st century. The largest tsunamis of the 20th and 21st centuries
Earthquakes are devastating and terrifying enough on their own, but their effects are only amplified by the huge tsunami waves that can follow a massive seismic disturbance on the ocean floor. Often, coastal residents have only minutes to escape to higher ground, and any delay can cause colossal casualties. In this collection you will learn about the most powerful and destructive tsunamis in history. Over the past 50 years, our ability to study and predict tsunamis has reached new heights, but they have still not been sufficient to prevent widespread destruction.
10. Earthquake in Alaska and subsequent Tsunami, 1964.
March 27, 1964 was Good Friday, but the Christian day of worship was interrupted by a 9.2 magnitude earthquake - the strongest ever recorded in North American history. Subsequent tsunamis wiped out the western North American coastline (also hitting Hawaii and Japan), killing 121 people. Waves of up to 30 meters were recorded and a 10 meter tsunami wiped out the tiny Alaskan village of Chenega.
9. Samoa earthquake and tsunami, 2009.
In 2009, the Samoan Islands experienced a magnitude 8.1 earthquake at 7:00 am on September 29th. Tsunamis up to 15 meters high followed, traveling miles inland, engulfing villages and causing widespread destruction. 189 people died, many of them children, but further loss of life was spared because the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center gave people time to evacuate to higher ground.
8. 1993, Hokkaido earthquake and tsunami.
On July 12th, 1993, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake occurred 80 miles off the coast of Hokkaido, Japan. Japanese authorities responded quickly, issuing a tsunami warning, but the small island of Okushiri was beyond the relief zone. Within minutes of the earthquake, the island was covered by giant waves - some of which reached 30 meters in height. 197 of the 250 tsunami victims were residents of Okushiri. Although some were saved by memories of the 1983 tsunami that hit the island 10 years earlier, forcing a rapid evacuation.
7. 1979, Tumaco earthquake and tsunami.
At 8:00 am on December 12th, 1979, a magnitude 7.9 earthquake began near Colombia and the Pacific coast of Ecuador. The tsunami that followed destroyed six fishing villages and most the city of Tumaco, as well as several other Colombian coastal cities. 259 people died, while 798 were injured and 95 were missing.
6. 2006, earthquake and tsunami in Java.
On July 17th, 2006, a magnitude 7.7 earthquake shook the seabed near Java. A 7 meter high tsunami slammed into the Indonesian coast, including 100 miles of coastline in Java, which was fortunately spared by the 2004 tsunami. The waves penetrated more than a mile inland, leveling communities and the seaside resort of Pangandaran. At least 668 people died, 65 died, and more than 9,000 required medical attention.
5. 1998, Papua New Guinea earthquake and tsunami.
A magnitude 7 earthquake struck the northern coast of Papua New Guinea on July 17, 1998, without itself causing a large tsunami. However, the earthquake caused a large underwater landslide, which in turn produced waves 15 meters high. When the tsunami hit the coast, it caused at least 2,183 deaths, 500 missing people, and made approximately 10,000 residents homeless. Numerous villages were heavily damaged, while others, such as Arop and Varapu, were completely destroyed. The only positive thing was that it gave scientists valuable insight into the threat of underwater landslides and the unexpected tsunamis they can cause, which could save lives in the future.
4. 1976 Moro Bay earthquake and tsunami.
In the early morning of August 16th, 1976, the small island of Mindanao in the Philippines was struck by an earthquake with a magnitude of at least 7.9. The earthquake caused a huge tsunami that crashed into 433 miles of coastline, where residents were unaware of the danger and did not have time to escape to higher ground. Overall, 5,000 people were killed and another 2,200 were missing, 9,500 were injured and more than 90,000 residents were left homeless. Cities and regions throughout the Northern Celebes Sea region of the Philippines were wiped out by the tsunami, which is considered among the worst natural disasters in the country's history.
3. 1960, Valdivia earthquake and tsunami.
In 1960, the world experienced the strongest earthquake since such events began to be tracked. On May 22nd, the Great Chile Earthquake of 9.5 magnitude began off the south coast of central Chile, causing a volcanic eruption and a devastating tsunami. Waves reached 25 meters high in some areas, while a tsunami also swept across the Pacific Ocean, hitting Hawaii about 15 hours after the quake and killing 61 people. Seven hours later, waves hit the coast of Japan, causing 142 deaths. A total of 6,000 died.
2. 2011 Tohuku earthquake and tsunami.
While all tsunamis are dangerous, the 2011 Tohuku Tsunami that hit Japan has some of the worst consequences. On March 11th, waves of 11 meters were recorded after the 9.0 earthquake, although some reports mention terrifying heights of up to 40 meters with waves traveling 6 miles inland, as well as a colossal 30 meter wave that crashed into the coastal town of Ofunato. Approximately 125,000 buildings were damaged or destroyed, and transport infrastructure suffered heavy damage. With approximately 25,000 people killed, the tsunami also damaged the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant, causing an International Nuclear Disaster. The full consequences of this nuclear disaster are still unclear, but radiation was detected 200 miles from the plant.
Here are a few videos that capture the destructive power of the elements:
1. 2004, Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami.
The world was stunned by the deadly tsunami that hit countries surrounding the Indian Ocean on December 26, 2004. The tsunami was the deadliest ever, with more than 230,000 casualties, affecting people in 14 countries, with the largest numbers affected in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and Thailand. The powerful undersea earthquake had a magnitude of up to 9.3, and the deadly waves it caused reached 30 meters in height. Massive tsunamis inundated some coastlines within 15 minutes and some as much as 7 hours after the initial earthquake. Despite having time to prepare for the impact of waves in some places, the lack of a tsunami warning system in the Indian Ocean meant that most coastal areas were caught by surprise. However, some places were saved thanks to local superstitions and even the knowledge of children who learned about the tsunami at school. With photos
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Humanity, which practically did not know catastrophic tsunamis in the 20th century, already in the first two decades of the current century experienced the impact of three powerful “rogue waves”. Another example of the monstrous power of the elements was the disaster on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi on September 28, 2018.
The tsunami was caused by an underwater earthquake: two successive shocks of magnitude 6.1 and 7.4. Numerous aftershocks were recorded after them. After some time, the enraged sea burst into the city, which suffered from a seismic shock. According to preliminary information, the number of victims of the natural disaster was more than 800 people. Thousands of buildings, bridges and roads were destroyed in the coastal strip. A large coastal area is flooded. Apparently, the number of victims will increase.
People managed to film the approach of the tsunami to the shore with cameras from mobile gadgets. The recordings show that it was the impact of a whole series of waves.
A tsunami occurs during an earthquake in the sea or ocean - with a sharp and strong displacement of the bottom, especially if the process is accompanied by an instantaneous vertical rise of one of the wings of a tectonic rupture. The maximum amplitude of waves occurs when rocks move at a depth of about 10 kilometers and decreases with the deepening of the source.
A water mountain is formed above the place of tectonic shift, which, when subsiding, generates waves that diverge in all directions from the epicenter, like a stone thrown into the water. IN open ocean they are very long. The distance between the two crests of such waves reaches 100-150 kilometers at a fairly low height - a few meters. Ships may not notice a tsunami far from the coast.
Waves of this kind travel at speeds of up to 600-800 kilometers per hour. As the depth decreases, they become slower due to friction with the shallows. However, the height of the tsunami is increasing. The wave energy is redistributed from the lower part of the water column to the upper part, which moves at a higher speed. A white breaker appears on the crest, and the wave takes on an asymmetrical shape. The side facing the shore becomes steep and concave.
Such waves with their entire mass crash onto the shore and destroy everything in their path. The height of a tsunami can grow to monstrous proportions in narrow bays. When the wave's energy runs out, it rushes back into the ocean, taking with it all floating objects. Typically, tsunamis come in series: after the first wave hits, new ones should be expected.
Tsunamis most often occur in Pacific Ocean, where the ring of fire of active volcanoes is located and constant strong earthquakes occur. It is here, in the zone of the active continental margin, that heavy and colder oceanic lithospheric plates submerged under lighter but higher continental ones. The processes of interaction between them cause shaking earth's crust.
It is very difficult to predict a tsunami, but residents of coastal areas, having felt tremors, should immediately go inland and rise to higher ground. A characteristic sign of the approach of a “rogue wave” is a sharp and strong retreat of the sea. If an earthquake occurs near the coast, people have no more than half an hour to save themselves. In the event that the source of the tremors was located at a considerable distance from the coastline, the authorities have time to notify the population and organize evacuation.
The last powerful tsunami occurred on March 11, 2011 in Japan, it was caused by a strong earthquake - magnitude 9.0 with an epicenter 373 kilometers northeast of Tokyo. The height of the waves that day in some places was about 40 meters. The impact of the elements caused an accident on nuclear power plant"Fukushima I". About 16 thousand people died in the disaster. Approximately 5.5 thousand were injured.
The worst and deadliest earthquake in human memory was the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami in 2004. In terms of its strength, the shaking of the earth's crust that day is recognized as the second of all recorded in history. The magnitude 9.3 tremor caused waves that affected several countries in Asia and Africa: Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Somalia and others. Total number the death toll was monstrous: more than 235 thousand people.
In the 21st century, two more significant tsunamis were recorded: September 6, 2004 in Japan (wave height of about a meter, several dozen people were injured) and April 2, 2007 in the Solomon Islands and New Guinea (wave height of several meters, 52 dead).
In the last century, fewer catastrophic tsunamis were recorded. True, it is worth noting that the technical means that humanity had at that time do not allow us to talk about high accuracy of observations.
On July 17, 1998, a huge underwater landslide following a magnitude 7.1 earthquake triggered a tsunami off the coast of New Guinea, killing more than two thousand people.
On March 28, 1964, a powerful earthquake of magnitude 9.2 in Prince William Sound caused a series of waves up to 67 meters high. The disaster claimed the lives of about 150 people.
On July 9, 1958, the highest known tsunami in the observable history of the Earth was recorded. An earthquake in southwestern Alaska caused an entire mountain to fall into Lituya Bay, causing a wave more than 500 meters high to crash onto the opposite shore of the bay. Because the disaster occurred in a sparsely populated area, only five people died.
On March 9, 1957, an earthquake with a magnitude of 9.1 on the Andrean Islands near Alaska caused two waves up to 15 meters high, and also “awakened” the Vsevidov volcano on Umnak Island after a 200-year hibernation. More than 300 people became victims of the disaster.
On November 5, 1952, a powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 8.3 to 9, 130 kilometers off the coast of Kamchatka, caused three successive tsunamis up to 18 meters high, which washed away almost the entire Soviet city of Severo-Kurilsk. More than two thousand people died then.
A peculiar story telling about the tsunamis that have occurred over the past five thousand years was discovered by scientists during excavations in a sea cave in Indonesia. This discovery showed that science knows very little about how and when earthquakes can cause giant waves.
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About a year ago, in April 2015, an earthquake occurred in Nepal, causing thousands of deaths and enormous destruction, including valuable historical monuments. This is one of the most strong earthquakes in history. A cataclysm of this magnitude is already the seventh in a row in the 21st century. Let's remember each of them:
Bam, 2003
An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.3 occurred on December 26, 2003 in ancient city Bam in Iran. On that terrible day, 35 thousand people lost their lives, and another 22 thousand were injured. And this despite the fact that the city’s population is only 200 thousand inhabitants.
Indian Ocean, 2004
Exactly one year after the Iranian tragedy, an underwater earthquake occurred in the Indian Ocean, causing the deadliest earthquake in history. modern history tsunami. The magnitude of the tremors was 9.1–9.3 points. The tsunami hit several countries, among which those closest to the epicenter were Thailand, Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka, etc. Its destructive power was so great that even in Port Elizabeth (South Africa), 6900 kilometers away from the epicenter, a huge number of residents died. The total number of deaths during the disaster reached 225-300 thousand.
Sichuan, 2008
The Sichuan earthquake occurred on May 12, 2008. According to the China Seismological Bureau, the magnitude of the earthquake was 8 Mw. The epicenter of the cataclysm was the seismically active Longmenshan fault, located 75 km from the city of Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province. According to official sources, as of August 4, 2008, the death toll was about 70 thousand people, another 18 thousand were missing.
Haiti, 2010
The date of the tragedy was January 12, 2010. Previously, such a destructive earthquake was recorded on the island in 1751. The number of deaths during the tragedy 6 years ago exceeded 200 thousand people, and material damage amounted to 5.6 billion euros.
Chile, 2010
In the same year, on February 27, one of the strongest earthquakes in the last half century occurred in Chile. Earth vibrations of magnitude 8.8 caused enormous destruction, killing about a thousand people.
Japan, 2011
The earthquake off the coast of the Japanese island of Honshu, which occurred on March 11, 2011, went down in history as the Great East Japan Earthquake. The strongest earthquake in the history of the country caused an equally terrible tsunami, the height of the waves reaching 40 meters. One of the consequences of the disaster was the accident at the Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant. The disaster destroyed three nuclear reactors, causing a strong radioactive release into the atmosphere. The death toll exceeded 15 thousand people, about 3 thousand are missing.
Nepal, 2015
On April 25 and 26, 2015, powerful tremors began in Nepal, with a magnitude ranging from 4.2–7.8 Mw. According to the country's government, 4,000 people have been confirmed dead and damage is estimated at $5 billion. In addition, the earthquake triggered avalanches on Everest, killing more than 80 climbers.
Tsunamis are waves that extend over a long period of time and have enormous destructive power. Originating in one point of the ocean, with lightning speed they reach territories remote over vast distances, wreaking havoc, destruction and death. The name of this natural phenomenon was given by the inhabitants of the Land of the Rising Sun. The literal translation of the Japanese word tsunami is “harbor waves.” The occurrence of a tsunami is associated with earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, underwater explosions, landslides, and the fall of large celestial bodies. The biggest tsunamis, which were observed in the last hundred years, were caused by strong earthquakes.
Tsunami in Severo-Kurilsk (USSR). 1952
An hour after the powerful earthquake, the first wave arrived in the city of Severo-Kurilsk and villages located on the coast of Kamchatka and the Kuril Islands. It was followed by two more with a height of 15 to 18 meters. The city was destroyed. According to unofficial data, about 5 thousand (according to official data - 2 thousand) people died. The scale and consequences of the 1952 tsunami, as with most disasters in the Soviet Union, were classified.
The biggest tsunamis in the state of Alaska (USA). 1957-1964
An earthquake with a magnitude of 9.1 that occurred on the Andrean Islands in March 1957 caused a tsunami. Two waves 15 and 8 meters high caused the death of more than 300 people.
In July 1958, a wave of incredible height hit the coast in the Lituya Bay area. This event went down in the history of natural disasters as With the biggest known to mankind. As a result of the earthquake, huge masses of soil and ice fell from the mountainside into the waters of the bay. A giant 150-meter wave formed. Traces of the destructive impact of the most impressive tsunami in the world were recorded at an altitude of 524 meters above sea level. 5 people died.
In March 1964, the world was rocked by a new report of a tsunami and the strongest earthquake in US history, which led to the appearance of giant waves. The magnitude of the Great Alaskan earthquake was 9.1-9.2. The total number of victims is 131 people, and the death of 122 of them, as well as serious destruction, are the consequences of the tsunami.
Largest tsunami in Papua New Guinea. 1998
The largest ever seen by the inhabitants of this island nation was caused by an earthquake accompanied by an underwater landslide. The wall of water that hit the coast reached 15 meters. The number of victims is more than 2 thousand people.
Tsunami of the 21st century
Since the beginning of the new millennium from such a destructive natural phenomenon Japan suffered like a tsunami three times. The first time was in 2004, the second time was in 2005. Then residents of coastal areas received a message about the tsunami in a timely manner and managed to leave dangerous areas.
In March 2011, 70 km from the nearest point on the Japanese coast, the strongest magnitude 9 earthquake in the history of the country occurred. The natural disaster caused damage to nuclear power plant reactors, which turned into sources of radioactive emissions. One of the most serious on the danger scale took only 10-30 minutes to reach the coast and destroy everything in its path. According to official sources, in 12 Japanese prefectures, 15,870 people died (data from September 5, 2012), thousands of people were injured, and a huge number of missing persons. Transport, residential real estate, industrial enterprises. Overall, the economic damage caused to Japan by the cataclysm was estimated at between $198 and $309 billion.
The most deadly natural disaster in modern human history is recognized as the natural disaster that erupted in the Indian Ocean on December 26, 2004, which arose as a result of underwater tremors with a force of 9.1-9.3, covering land areas located even 6900 km away (South Africa, Port Elizabeth ) from the epicenter. Thousands of people died in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, southern India and other countries. The fate of so many people carried away by the giant wave remains unknown, so it is impossible to give an exact number of human casualties. Various experts agree that the death toll in this region at the end of 2004 reaches 225-300 thousand people.
The death toll from the tsunami that occurred off the west coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra in October 2010 exceeded 100 people, with more than 500 missing. The waves that wiped out several villages facing the Indian Ocean coast of the islands, deprived four thousand people of their homes.
Tsunami (Japanese) - marine gravity waves of very long length, resulting from the displacement of extended sections of the bottom during strong underwater and coastal earthquakes or as a result of volcanic eruptions and other tectonic processes. Tsunami waves travel at high speed - up to 1 thousand km/h. The height of waves in the area of their occurrence ranges from 0.01-5.00 m, but near the coast it can reach 10 m, and in unfavorable terrain areas (wedge-shaped bays, river valleys, etc.) it can exceed 50 m .
An 8.8 magnitude earthquake that struck Chile on February 27, 2009 triggered a tsunami, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center reported. According to official data, 279 dead have been identified.
On January 31, 1906, an earthquake measuring 8.8 on the Richter scale occurred off the coast of Colombia and Ecuador, which also affected the West Coast of the United States and Japan. As a result of the resulting tsunami, about 1.5 thousand people died.
On February 3, 1923, an earthquake with a magnitude of 8.5 occurred in Kamchatka. It was the last in a series of earthquakes during the winter of 1923. Most of these earthquakes triggered tsunamis in the region. The tsunami on February 3 was especially powerful. Significant damage was also caused to the Hawaiian Islands.
On February 1, 1938, due to an earthquake measuring 8.5 on the Richter scale off the coast of Indonesia, a tsunami hit the islands of Banda and Kai. There are no data on casualties.
On November 4, 1952, due to an earthquake measuring 9.0 on the Richter scale near the coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula, a tsunami hit the Hawaiian Islands. The amount of material damage caused was about $1 million.
The tsunami also resulted in the destruction of several cities and towns in the Sakhalin and Kamchatka regions. On November 5, three waves up to 15-18 meters high (according to various sources) destroyed the city of Severo-Kurilsk and caused damage to a number of neighboring settlements. According to official data, 2,336 people died.
On March 9, 1957, an earthquake measuring up to 9.1 occurred in the Andrianova Islands, Alaska. It led to the formation of two tsunamis, the average wave height reached 15 and 8 m, respectively. The tsunami killed more than 300 people. The earthquake and tsunami were accompanied by the eruption of the Vsevidov volcano, which had been “hibernating” for about 200 years.
On May 22, 1960, an earthquake measuring 9.5 on the Richter scale occurred in southern Chile, causing a tsunami. In Chile, Japan, the Hawaiian and Philippine Islands, about 2.3 thousand were killed, more than 4 thousand were injured, and about 2 million people were left homeless. The amount of material damage caused amounted to more than 675 million dollars. For a long time, this tsunami was considered the most powerful and destructive ever recorded.
On March 28, 1964, an earthquake measuring 9.2 on the Richter scale occurred in Alaska, 120 km southeast of Anchorage, causing a tsunami. 125 people died. The amount of material damage caused amounted to about 311 million dollars.
On February 4, 1965, as a result of an earthquake measuring 8.7 on the Richter scale that occurred on the Rat Islands (Alaska), a tsunami hit Shemya Island (Aleutian archipelago).
On September 5, 1971, an earthquake occurred in the Sea of Japan, 50 km from the southwestern coast of Sakhalin. It was named Moneron after the island of the same name, which was located next to the source of the earthquake. The intensity of the shock at the source was estimated at 8 points, in populated areas located opposite the hearth, the force of the earth shaking was equal to 7 points. On the southwestern coast of Sakhalin, a maximum wave height of 2 m was recorded in Gornozavodsk and Shebunino. There was no information about casualties and destruction in the media.
On December 12, 1992, an earthquake measuring 6.8 on the Richter scale destroyed a large part of the islands of Flores and Bali, located in Indonesia. The earthquake caused a tsunami with a wave height of up to 26 m. 2 thousand 200 people died.
On December 26, 2004, an earthquake occurred in the Indian Ocean, near the western coast of the northern part of the island of Sumatra. An earthquake with a magnitude of 8.9-9 triggered a tsunami that immediately hit the islands of Sumatra and Java. The height of the wave reached 30 m. The total number of deaths is, according to various sources, from 200 to 300 thousand people. More precise figures have not yet been established, since many bodies were carried away by water. To date, this particular tsunami is considered the most destructive in history.
The tsunami waves spread not only across the Indian Ocean, but also the Pacific Ocean, reaching the coast of the Kuril Islands.
On July 17, 2006, the southern coast of the Indonesian island of Java was hit by a tsunami. According to various estimates, from 600 to 650 people died from the natural disaster, 120 were missing. 1 thousand 800 residents of the coast were injured. The natural disaster left 47 thousand people homeless.
In the resort town of Pangandaran, the tsunami destroyed almost all the hotels located on the first line of the coast.
On September 29, 2009, a magnitude 8.3 earthquake triggered a tsunami off the coast of the island nation of Samoa in the Pacific Ocean. The total death toll on the islands of Western and American Samoa exceeded 140 people.
On February 27, 2010, as a result of an earthquake of magnitude 8.8 that occurred in Chile, a tsunami threat arose for Japan, the Kuril Islands, Sakhalin, as well as the Philippines and Indonesia.
The material was prepared on the basis of information and open sources.
Astrologer's commentary.
In the formation of strong tremors in the ocean, causing powerful catastrophic tsunamis, always took part vibration of Neptune.
Considering the ongoing invasion, transition of Neptune into its abode, the sign of Pisces, - correspondence - the world ocean, underwater earthquakes, eruptions, tsunamis, storms, large-scale floods from April 4, 2011, - the final ingression of Neptune into the sign of Pisces, - February 3, 2012, - likely an increase in dangerous tremors in the ocean followed by tsunamis, until 2025-2026, the ingression of Neptune into the sign of Aries.
Neptune's line is projected onto:
Australia, Papua New Guinea, Sulawesi Island, Caroline Islands, Philippines, Taiwan Island, Japan, Kurile Islands, Kamchatka, Aleutian Islands, Alaska. In the Western Hemisphere to Canada, the Nova Scotia Peninsula, Newfoundland, Brazil - near the cities of Natal, Pernambuco.
In 14 studied horoscopes of the most powerful tsunamis, there is a direct or indirect connection between Neptune and Pluto:
1. Sextile - 8 horoscopes.
2. Connection - 1 horoscope.
“June 15, 1896: The Sankriku tsunami hit Japan. A 23-meter tsunami wave of colossal destructive force hit people gathered on the shore on the day of a religious holiday, killing more than 26,000 people...”
3. Indirect connection of Neptune with Pluto, through major aspects from the Sun, Moon or Mercury - 5 horoscopes.
from November 7, 2010, after Neptune turned into direct motion, the Neptune-Pluto sextile began to form in the current period.
The aspect area is Neptune-Pluto - 2011-2016.
In the designated regions, on the line of Neptune and Pluto, during periods of intense interaction, ingressions and turns of the planets solar system, a strip of powerful tsunamis will pass.
The Pluto line is projected onto:
India, Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Central America.
Japan has adopted a draft tsunami protection law.
TOKYO, June 10 - RIA Novosti, Ksenia Naka. The lower house of the Japanese Diet on Friday unanimously adopted a draft law on additional tsunami protection measures that would help avoid or reduce damage from the disaster, Kyodo news agency reported.
The draft law notes the insufficiency of the current measures and protection system. On state level It is planned to conduct tsunami research, create a new warning system and urgent evacuation of the population in the event of a disaster threat. The bill provides for the revision of construction plans for cities and industrial facilities taking into account the threat of a tsunami.
In addition, in memory of the powerful tsunami of 1854, November 5 will be celebrated as Tsunami Protection Day. The earthquake that occurred on November 5, 1854 on the southeastern coast of Japan, with a magnitude of 8.5, and the subsequent tsunami, whose height in some places reached 15-16 meters, claimed, according to some sources, the lives of more than 8 thousand people. As legend has it, on this day an old man from a village located in what is now Wakayama Prefecture saved all his fellow villagers from imminent death. His house was on a hill. He noticed a giant wave rising in the sea. She moved at such a speed that he would not have time to go down and warn the residents. Then he sacrificed the most valuable thing he had - stacks of rice. He set them on fire, residents saw the fire and rushed to his house to help. And only when they reached the top of the hill did they see the danger that threatened them.
Japan has the world's fastest tsunami warning system. During the March 11 earthquake, the first alert was issued while tremors were still ongoing.
However, the downside of the early warning was the accuracy of wave height calculations, since this requires additional data and time. As a result, on March 11, many residents of the northeastern coast that was most affected by the disaster only managed to hear a warning about a three-meter tsunami, and later clarifications and warnings that in some areas the wave height could exceed 10 meters were not heard. This became fatal for the majority of the 15 thousand dead: more than 92% died from the tsunami, and not from the earthquake itself.
In addition, developed taking into account the experience of past earthquakes and tsunamis detailed maps the degree of flooding hazard for all coastal areas could not take into account the unprecedented magnitude of the earthquake and tsunami. Because of this, some residents believed that their homes, more than a kilometer away from the seashore, were safe in the event of a tsunami and did not rush to evacuate.