Alaska’s Aleutian Islands are located on what’s known as the “Ring of Fire,” a separation point where the Pacific plate of the Earth’s crust meets the surrounding continental plates. This delineation point fosters earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Today marks the anniversary of one of those earthquakes that spawned a tsunami so large that it traveled more than 2,300 miles and devastated parts of Hawaii.
Early in the morning on March 9, 1957, a powerful magnitude 8.6 earthquake rattled Alaska’s southern Aleutian Islands. The earthquake’s impact immediately destroyed bridges and cracked roads. The earthquake was so violent that it triggered the eruption of Umnak Island’s Mount Vsevidof. This was the first time Mount Vsevidof had erupted in 200 years!
As if the earthquake’s damage wasn’t enough, a devastating tsunami followed. The tsunami first struck parts of Alaska with waves as high as 75 feet, which is equivalent to a wall of water about 6 stories high. The tsunami then traversed the Pacific Ocean and made it all the way to Hawaii.
Hawaii’s island of Kauai would be hit hardest by the tsunami. At Hāʻena State Park near Wainiha, Hawaii, waves as high as 38 feet were reported. Bridges and highways were submerged in water along Kaui’s northern shore. Other Hawaiian Islands were impacted by the tsunami, including the Big Island, where waves reaching 12 feet high damaged buildings in Hilo.
When all was set-and-done, Hawaii suffered the most damage as a result of the tsunami. The price tag was an estimated $46.5 million in today’s currency. Tsunami waves would even reach the U.S. West Coast, but with only minor damage reported in areas such as San Deigo Bay, Calif. It’s still not known today how many people perished in the tsunami.
Sources: usgs.gov, washington.edu, sos.noaa.gov
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Story Image: The location of the magnitude 8.6 earthquake epicenter and impact (earthquake.usgs.gov).
