Tsunamis in Ecuador
In a total of 4 tidal waves classified as a tsunami since 1906 a total of 4 people died in Ecuador. Tsunamis therefore occur only rarely here.The strongest tidal wave registered in Ecuador so far reached a height of 6.1 meters. At this Tsunami on 03/11/2011 no losses of human lifes have been registered.
The biggest impact in terms of lifes, injuries, destroyed homes and economy had been a tsunami on 01/19/1958. A tidal wave of up to 0 meters killed 4 humans and destroyed vast areas.
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Tsunamis are caused by earthquakes or other seismic eruptions on ground of an oceans and can cause massive tidal waves, which run with enormous force on land, causing great devastation. Especially in regions with only few tsunamis, the damage is often drastic, as the population does not expect tsunamis and thus hardly takes any protective measures. Even relatively small flood waves can lead to high losses and financial damage.
The marked positions on the map represent the most effected regions within the past 120 years.
The largest tsunamis in Ecuador since 1906
Date | Cause | max. tidal | Fatalities | Total damage |
---|---|---|---|---|
03/11/2011 | Earthquake in Japan (Honshu Island) with a magnitude of 9.1. The tsunami caused damages in 11 further countries. A total of 18,431 humans died. | 6.1 m | 0 | |
01/19/1958 | Earthquake in Ecuador (Colombia-Ecuador) with a magnitude of 7.6. | 0 m | 4 | |
11/04/1952 | Earthquake in Russia (Kamchatka) with a magnitude of 9.0. The tsunami caused damages in 11 further countries. A total of 10,000 humans died. | 1.9 m | 0 | |
01/31/1906 | Earthquake in Ecuador (Off Coast) with a magnitude of 8.8. The tsunami also reached Colombia, United States. A total of 1,000 humans died. | 0 m | 0 |
These statistics are based on datas from the National Geophysical Data Center / World Data Service (NGDC/WDS): Global Historical Tsunami Database. doi:10.7289/V5TD9V7K. Several data have been summarized and translated.