30+ Terrifying Tsunami Pictures That Will Shock You

By Molly 1 year ago

Running for safety

Image Source: theatlantic.com

This shocking image shows people desperately running away from the towering waves about to crash through Ao Nang in Krabi Province in Thailand after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami hit. We can’t imagine how terrified these people must have felt when this was taken.

Up in flames

Image Source: ibtimes.co.uk

This shocking image shows houses on fire after being swept away in Natori in Fukushima Prefecture in Japan. This was after the 2011 tsunami caused widespread devastation across the region, causing thousands of people to lose their homes to the disaster.

Towering waves

Image Source: theatlantic.com

This terrifying image shows the towering waves about to hit Penang, an island on the West Coast of Peninsular Malaysia. The water has already swept up furniture lying on the beach. People are stood by watching, unable to escape the devastation that is about to hit.

A whirlpool

Image Source: theatlantic.com

This bird’s-eye view image shows the whirling waters on the coastline of Kalutara in Sri Lanka caused by the undersea earthquake in 2004. This resulted in the deadliest tsunami ever recorded, sweeping away entire cities and taking the lives of 230,000 people.

Deadly waters

Image Source: ibtimes.co.uk

Of all the images we have seen so far, this has to be the most shocking one. This captures the moment a surge of black water crashes through the city of Miyako in Iwate Prefecture after an earthquake caused the devastating tsunami which hit Japan in 2011.

Submerged

Image Source: wionews.com

Phuket Island in Thailand is known for its tropical beaches, with many tourists staying in beautiful resorts along the coastline. This scary image shows water completely submerging a beachfront hotel during the 2004 tsunami, sweeping away everything in its path.

The destroyed train station

Image Source: ibtimes.co.uk

This image shows a train station in Shinchi located in Fukushima Prefecture in Japan after the 2011 tsunami. It is clear to see the destruction that has been caused by the natural disaster, with damaged trains lying on their side in the muddy rubble.

Horror strikes paradise

Image Source: theatlantic.com

One of the most popular holiday destinations in Thailand is Ton San Bay on Koh Phi Phi Island. It is know for its scenic beauty, white sand and turquoise waters…but this image after the tsunami struck couldn’t be further away from the tropical paradise holidaymakers love.

What airport?

Image Source: ibtimes.co.uk

This horrifying image shows the whole of Sendai in Japan completely submerged in dark brown waters after the 2011 tsunami disaster struck. In the forefront was once Sendai airport, which can hardly even be seen as the ocean and land have been merged together as one.

Destruction

Image Source: theatlantic.com

This image shows the devastation suffered by Banda Aceh which is the capital and largest city in the province of Aceh in Indonesia, located on the island of Sumtra. The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami left this city in pieces, with only a few buildings left standing.

The last one standing

Image Source: theatlantic.com

This haunting image shows a mosque standing alone after the 2004 tsunami in Banda Aceh in the Aceh Province, Indonesia. Although the mosque was slightly damaged, it managed to survive the deadly waters which swept away the surrounding buildings in the area.

Phuket Town

Image Source: theatlantic.com

Phuket town in Thailand is one of the most popular holiday destinations for tourists with tropical beaches, traditional markets and a lively clubbing scene. However, this devastating image shows a very different version to the usual hustle and bustle of the town.

A sunken city

Image Source: ibtimes.co.uk

The 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami caused mass destruction on the coastline and inner cities of Japan. This image shows the city of Iwanuma located in Miyagi Prefecture which was completely submerged by the deadly waters that swept across the land.

Isolation

Image Source: wionews.com

This heart-wrenching image shows a man sitting alone on a chair, surrounded by his house which has fallen to the ground. This was taken in Pandiruppu, a small city in the region of Eastern Province in Sri Lanka which was hit by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. 

Floating away

Image Source:ibtimes.co.uk

Sendai in Japan was one of the worst hit regions during the 2011 tsunami, destroying the city and sweeping away the buildings. This terrifying image shows a house floating in the Pacific Ocean, highlighting the level of destruction a natural distorter can cause.

A lost beach

Image Source: theatlantic.com

This image shows Marina Beach in Chennai, which is the capital city of the Indian State of Tamil Nadu. You wouldn’t even know this was a beach after the 2004 tsunami flooded the coastline and swept away everything in its path, completely destroying the land.

A town on the ground

Image Source: theatlantic.com

This sad image shows two men walking through the streets of Banda Aceh in Aceh Province in Indonesia after the 2004 tsunami. This was once a residential street many people called home, but the tsunami washed it away leaving buildings fallen to the ground in piles of rubble.

Piled high

Image Source: theatlantic.com

After the waters finally drained away, this image shows the devastating aftermath of the 2011 tsunami that hit the town of Otsuchi in Japan. The rubble is piled high, with cars overturned and a wrecked boat elevated above the destruction covering ground below.

The flooded streets

Image Source: theatlantic.com

Another terrifying image of water sweeping through the streets of Maddampegama in Sri Lanka after the Indian Ocean tsunami hit in 2004. This shows the height of the tidal waves which came crashing through the houses on this coastline, causing irreversible damage.

Wreckage

Image Source: theatlantic.com

This is an image of Natori, a city in Miyagi Prefecture. It was one of the areas worst-hit by the earthquake and tsunami which caused devastation in Japan on the 11th March 2011. Cars are completely submerged by the rubble after buildings were torn to the ground.

An aerial view

Image Source: ibtimes.co.uk

This aerial image shows the town of Minamisanriku in Miyagi Prefecture, which was completely submerged by water after the 2011 tsunami hit Japan. It is scary to think how people must have felt when this terrifying disaster hit the coastal town, causing widespread devastation. 

Koh Phi Phi, Thailand

Image Source: wionews.com

Another image from the island of Koh Phi Phi in Thailand shows the damage caused by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. What was once a tropical paradise surviving on mass tourism, this island was turned into the scene of a horror movie which took years to recover. 

Remains

Image Source: theatlantic.com

This image may look more peaceful after the waters had finally settled in Banda Aceh in Aceh Province in Indonesia, but this is the remains of what once a bridge. This emphasises the degree of destruction caused by the Indian Ocean tsunami which hit the region in 2004.

Sinking homes

Image Source: theatlantic.com

It is impossible to tell where the coast ends and the sea begins, as the waves come crashing through the streets of Colombo in Sri Lanka during the 2004 tsunami. The height of the water is terrifying, completely destroying peoples homes and everything inside.

A sinking boat

Image Source: ibtimes.co.uk

This is Onahama Port in Iwaki City in the Fukushima Prefecture. Here we can see a large fishing boat as it sinks the ground, unable to survive the force of the tsunami waves. A car has also been swept away, floating out to sea with no way of returning.

Through the fog

Image Source: theatlantic.com

Under a lay of white fog, we can see the sunken land of the West Coast of Banda Aceh in Aceh Province, in Indonesia. This was the aftermath of the tsunami which completely flooded the region, causing mass destruction to the infrastructure of the coastal town.

Aeroplane down

Image Source: theatlantic.com

This is another image from Sendai airport in Japan once the waters had been washed away. Here we can see the destruction that has been caused by the tsunami, with wreckage covering the ground and a damaged aeroplane sitting amongst all of the rubble.

Crashing waves

Image Source: ibtimes.co.uk

Another image from the 2011 Japan tsunami, this shows towering waves crashing through the city of Minamisoma in Fukushima Prefecture. The water completely destroyed the city, which then took years to recover and reconstruct after the damage was caused.

Under water

Image Source: theatlantic.com

This image was taken from up high, showing the devastation in Banda Aceh in Aceh Province in Indonesia after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami hit. We can see how the water has completely infiltrated the region, submerging the buildings and surrounding greenery. 

The First Of Six Tsunamis

Image Source / Wion
Back in 2004, tourists in southern Thailand spotted this tsunami, which was the first of a whopping six that would hit Hat Rai Lay Beach. It occurred after an earthquake off the coast of Aceh province in Indonesia. Around 226,000 people were killed as a result.

The Aerial Aftermath

Image Source / Wion
Here you can see an aerial shot of Marina beach, which is located in Channai city, India. The picture shows the aftermath of a tsunami that hit the beach after an earthquake in the Indian Ocean triggered the calamity. Waves reached around 17.4 meters.

Bodies Littered The Streets

Image Source / Wion
The Chedi Hotel in Phuket, Thailand, was struck by massive flood waves with this devastating tsunami in 2004. The streets were filled with bodies that hadn't yet been collected, and more bodies continued to be washed up on shore, mixed with piles of debris.

179,000 Buildings Destroyed

Image Source / Wion
In 2005, a staggering amount of 179,000 buildings (including homes) were destroyed in Indonesia when a tsunami struck the district of Banda Aceh. As well as the waves devastating the coastline and destroying the buildings, they also impacted more than 570,000 people.

Destroyed Buildings Leave People Homeless

Image Source / Wion
If you're not tragically killed in a tsunami then you'll probably be left homeless. In India in 2004, around 42,000 people were made homeless after the tsunami that struck the eastern coast and destroyed homes and buildings. Over 3,500 people were killed.

Boats On Top Of Houses

Image Source / Wion
The power of these waves is enough to place whole boats on the roofs of houses. This tsunami in Banda Aceh, Tunisia, left piles of destruction, rubble and vehicles here there and everywhere. Following the disaster, a new city was built on top of the ruins.

A Six-Minute Earthquake Caused This Tsunami

Image Source / Australian Geographic
Here you can see the devastating aftermath of a Japanese earthquake that reached 9.0 on the scale, inevitably causing a tsunami on the north-east coast. The tsunami was also responsible for almost 20,000 deaths.

A Tsunami At 50 Meters Tall

Image Source / CNN
In Sumatra, Indonesia, there was a 9.1 magnitude earthquake that caused a devastating tsunami off the coast. The tsunami reached a shocking height of 50 meters, and is now one of the most widely recorded, resulting in 10 billion dollars worth of damages. An estimate of around 230,000 people were also killed.

Waves Travelling At 800km Per Hour

Image Source / Encyclopedia Britannica
It's not just the height of the waves you have to think about, but the immense speed at which they're travelling. A tsunami with speeds of around 800km per hour swept through Japan and killed over 18,000 people. The earthquake which caused it is the fourth largest ever recorded.

Portugal's 1755 Tsunami

Image Source / Hakai Magazine
Tsunamis aren't a new disaster, after all, and back in 1755 there was a particularly devastating earthquake in Lisbon, Portugal, which caused waves to hit the town at around 30 meters high. The tsunami was so widespread that it even affected the water as far away as Barbados. 60,000 people were killed in Portugal, Morocco and Spain.

Towns Completely Demolished

Image Source / History Channel
When the Krakatau caldera volcano erupted, it caused a tsunami which had waves reaching around 37 meters and then completely demolished the towns of Anjer and Merak. In total, around 40,000 people died from the disaster, but some of these deaths were caused by the volcano erupting and not just the tsunami itself.

Entire Homes Swept Away

Image Source / Facts and Details
Another example of a terrifying earthquake/tsunami that went down in history from way back when: the 1498 tsunami that occurred in the Enshunada Sea in Japan. The earthquake, estimating around 8.3 in magnitude, managed to upheave entire homes and sweep them away, as well as killing at least 31,000 people.

Around A Dozen Terrifying Waves In The Space Of An Hour

Image Source / Devastating Disasters
One huge tsunami is terrifying enough, but twelve waves in the space of an hour? Back in 1707, that's exactly what happened in Nankaido, Japan, when an earthquake resulted in waves as high as 25 meters and twelve of them striking the region between 3pm and 4pm. An estimated 30,000 people were killed.

A Height Of 38 Meters

Image Source / The Japan Times
Just imagine that towering over you. In Sanriku, Japan, one of the most destructive earthquakes/tsunamis in history occured in 1896 off the coast, with these shockingly high waves and resultant damage of over 11,000 homes, and 22,000 deaths.

Devastating Waves Lasting 2-3 Days

Image Source / Lets Travel More
You might think a tsunami is over once it's stuck, but this one in Northern Chile that occurred in 1868 lasted a terrifying 3 days. It took two earthquakes to cause this devastation, with waves of around 21 meters high and took 25,000 lives whilst causing 300 million dollars of damage.

A Tsunami That Damaged More Than One Island

Image Source / Wikipedia
This tsunami that occurred in the Ryuku Islands in Japan hundreds of years ago managed to devastate a series of islands, most notably Ishigaki and Miyako. The waves that struck were said to be up to 15 meters high and resulted in the destruction of around 3,137 homes and caused est. 12,000 deaths. This photo shows a rock that was supposedly left behind by the tsunami.

No Trace Of A Town Left

Image Source / Lets Travel More
Imagine an entire town just being swept off the map. The Ise Bay earthquake and tsunami that occured in Japan left no trace of the town apart from the castle that managed to stand solid. Around 8000 people lost their lives and the damage spread across a number of towns.

Ghost Ship?

Image Source / Reader's Digest
The ghost ship in question here was actually thrown into the sea as a result of the tsunami that occurred in Japan in 2011. The ghost ship was just one of many, many million tons of debris. The ship then had to be sunk after it was causing an obstruction, and here is the resultant smoke from the sinking.

Boats Thrown Onto The Road

Image Source / The Guardian
Not a ghost ship this time, but a real boat that was launched from the ocean into the middle of the road after a massive tsunami struck Sri Lanka, in the southern district of Galle in 2004. You can see residents walking past the marooned boat with no possibility of moving it anywhere else.

Cars Are Completely Submerged In Water

Image Source / The Guardian
Here you can see the devastating debris left behind from a tsunami in the south of Thailand in 2005. The tsunami hit the Khao Lak Laguna Resort, a popular spot for tourists, and this submerged Mercedes car was just one of many pieces of destruction left behind.

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