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GEOGRAPHY
Physical - Natural Disasters
Costliest Waves
This list features the worst tsunamis in history based on the cost of damage.
RANK | TSUNAMI | DATE | COUNTRY | COST |
1 | 2011 Tōhoku Tsunami | March 11, 2011 | Japan | $235 billion |
2 | 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami | December 26, 2004 | Indonesia; Thailand; India, Sri Lanka | $14 billion - $20 billion |
3 | 1964 Alaska Tsunami | March 27, 1964 | United States | $311 million |
4 | 2010 Mentawai Tsunami | October 25, 2010 | Indonesia | $600 million |
5 | 2009 Samoa Tsunami | September 29, 2009 | Samoa; American Samoa | $200 million |
6 | 1952 Severo-Kurilsk Tsunami | November 4, 1952 | Russia | $100 million |
7 | 1946 Aleutian Islands Tsunami | April 1, 1946 | Hawaii | $26 million |
8 | 2003 Tokachi-Oki Tsunami | September 26, 2003 | Japan | $45 million |
9 | 1896 Sanriku Tsunami | June 15, 1896 | Japan | $27 million |
10 | 1883 Krakatoa Tsunami | August 27, 1883 | Indonesia | $110 million |
References
Statista. (n.d.). Biggest natural disasters by economic damage since 1980 [online]. Available at: https://www.statista.com/statistics/268126/biggest-natural-disasters-by-economic-damage-since-1980/ [Accessed 6 Jul. 2025].
Wikipedia. (n.d.). List of disasters by cost. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_disasters_by_cost [Accessed 6 Jul. 2025].
World Atlas. (n.d.). The world’s costliest earthquakes. [online] Available at: https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/the-world-s-costliest-earthquakes.html [Accessed 6 Jul. 2025].
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