ABSTRACT

The Asian tsunami of was one of the deadliest in the world. Its 100-foot-tall waves killed 230,000 people and destroyed entire villages. But it was not even close to the tallest tsunami on record. That dubious honor goes to the tsunami that hit Lituya Bay, Alaska, in 1958 with a wave that was 1,720 feet high—more than 10 times the height of the 2004 tsunami. An earthquake caused a massive avalanche on the northern shore of Lituya Bay, dumping more than 40 million cubic yards of boulders and rubble into the inlet. The force of the rocks hitting the water caused the gigantic wave to wash the entire length of the bay. One poor fisherman and his son were anchored in the bay when they heard the avalanche. Amazingly, the small boat stayed upright, and they rode the wave in over the shore and back out into the bay.