Uploaded April 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 hours ago
#tsunami #noaa #nctr #pmel #shorts
80 Years Later: Remembering the “April Fools Day Tsunami” of 1946.
On April 1, 1946, Alaska’s Aleutian Islands were rocked by a major earthquake. This event triggered a powerful tsunami that destroyed Alaska’s Scotch Cap Lighthouse on Unimak Island, killing all 5 lighthouse keepers. Mainland Alaska was not significantly impacted by this event, but large, destructive waves sped across the Pacific, reaching Hawaii without warning in less than 5 hours, resulting in widespread destruction and numerous fatalities.
Following this event, and recognizing the need for a tsunami warning system, the U.S. established the Seismic Sea Wave Warning System in 1948 (later renamed the NOAA Pacific Tsunami Warning Center).
At PMEL, the NOAA Center for Tsunami Research works in collaboration with NOAA's National Weather Service and National Centers for Environmental Information to improve tsunami warnings and preparedness by enhancing measurement technology, optimizing monitoring networks, improving the accuracy of forecast models, and improving the prediction of coastal impacts.
nctr.pmel.noaa.gov
Animation: Vasily Titov
Video editing: Aaron Seltzer
#tsunami #noaa #nctr #pmel #shorts
80 Years Later: Remembering the “April Fools Day Tsunami” of 1946.
On April 1, 1946, Alaska’s Aleutian Islands were rocked by a major earthquake. This event triggered a powerful tsunami that destroyed Alaska’s Scotch Cap Lighthouse on Unimak Island, killing all 5 lighthouse keepers. Mainland Alaska was not significantly impacted by this event, but large, destructive waves sped across the Pacific, reaching Hawaii without warning in less than 5 hours, resulting in widespread destruction and numerous fatalities.
Following this event, and recognizing the need for a tsunami warning system, the U.S. established the Seismic Sea Wave Warning System in 1948 (later renamed the NOAA Pacific Tsunami Warning Center).
At PMEL, the NOAA Center for Tsunami Research works in collaboration with NOAA's National Weather Service and National Centers for Environmental Information to improve tsunami warnings and preparedness by enhancing measurement technology, optimizing monitoring networks, improving the accuracy of forecast models, and improving the prediction of coastal impacts.
nctr.pmel.noaa.gov
Animation: Vasily Titov
Video editing: Aaron Seltzer
