Experts issue urgent warning over 1,000ft tall ‘mega tsunami’ set to hit parts of the US… is your hometown at risk?

Imagine a wall of water up to a third of a mile high, roaring across the ocean at hundreds of miles per hour. The sheer destructive force of a mega-tsunami is almost beyond comprehension.

Unlike regular tsunamis caused by earthquakes, mega-tsunamis are often triggered by huge landslides or collapsing volcanoes.

Three regions in the US — Alaska, Hawaii, and the West Coast — face the threat of mega-tsunamis due to their proximity to unstable volcanoes, landslide-prone areas, and earthquake zones.

One dramatic example occurred millions of years ago when an asteroid impact triggered a mile-high mega-tsunami during the time of the dinosaurs, leaving traces scientists still study.

Today, one chilling possibility involves the Cumbre Vieja volcano on the Canary Island of La Palma, which could collapse into the Atlantic and send a mega-tsunami toward the US East Coast. 

The Netflix series ‘La Palma’ brings this scenario to life, showing a family on vacation as researchers discover signs of a volcanic eruption that could unleash a catastrophic wave.

This idea comes from a 2001 study by Dr Simon Day and Steven Ward, who warned that a collapse of Cumbre Vieja’s west flank could drop up to 120 cubic miles of rock into the sea, creating a massive wave.

Their research suggests this wave could start at 2,000 feet high near the volcano and still reach up to 150 feet when it hits the Americas, threatening coastal cities. 

Mega tsunamis can be triggered by events such as landslides or volcanic island collapses. Scientists believe an asteroid impact triggered a mile-high mega-tsunami during the time of the dinosaurs

While some experts argue this Cumbre Vieja scenario is unlikely, as the volcano has erupted without causing such a tsunami, the US faces far more immediate mega-tsunami risks in three regions: Alaska, Hawaii, and along the West Coast.

These areas have experienced devastating waves in the past, triggered by landslides, volcanic collapses, or earthquakes – processes similar to those studied in the Canary Islands.

Today, ongoing geological activity and environmental changes make these regions vulnerable to future mega-tsunamis, threatening coastal communities and millions of people.

Alaska

In 1958, an earthquake in Alaska’s Lituya Bay triggered a massive landslide, sending millions of tons of rock crashing into Gilbert Inlet.

The huge mass of rock was approximately 2,400 feet by 3,000 feet and is believed to weigh up to 90 million tons. It was equivalent to dropping eight million dump truck loads into the water, according to NASA.

The result was the tallest wave ever recorded, a 1,719-foot mega-tsunami that roared across the bay.

Eyewitnesses reported a loud ‘boom’ as ice-filled waves swept away lighthouses and stripped forests bare, leaving a ‘razor-cut’ line noted by explorers as early as 1786.

One fisherman’s boat was lifted so high he looked down on treetops, while another couple was never seen again.

The huge mass of rock that landed in Alaska’s Gilbert Inlet was approximately 2,400 feet by 3,000 feet and is believed to weigh up to 90 million tons

Like the Cumbre Vieja scenario, Lituya Bay’s mega-tsunami was driven by a landslide. Earthquakes in this region can shake loose massive amounts of rock from steep cliffs, displacing water and creating enormous waves.

The confined waters of the bay amplified the wave’s height, making it especially destructive.

Alaska’s rugged terrain and frequent earthquakes continue to make it a hotspot for landslides.

Climate change is worsening the threat by melting glaciers, which destabilizes slopes and loosens rocks.

In 2020, 14 scientists warned that the retreat of Barry Glacier could trigger a rockslide into Harriman Fiord, potentially causing a massive tsunami as large as Lituya Bay’s.

Steve Masterman, director of Alaska’s Division of Geological Surveys, emphasized that these events are becoming increasingly likely as temperatures warm. Scientists are now monitoring glaciers and slopes to predict and prepare for future disasters.

Like the Cumbre Vieja scenario, Lituya Bay’s mega-tsunami was driven by a landslide. Earthquakes in this region can shake loose massive amounts of rock from steep cliffs 

Hawaii

Hawaii’s volcanic islands have a history of mega-tsunamis driven by collapsing volcanoes. Around 105,000 years ago, a 1,000-foot wave slammed into the island of Lanai, leaving marine fossils high on its mountains.

Researchers believe this was caused by a massive volcanic landslide, similar to the Cumbre Vieja scenario.

Other ancient slides, like the 20-mile-long Nu’uanu slide, sent huge volumes of rock into the sea, generating waves up to 300 feet high that reshaped the islands’ coasts.

Hawaii’s volcanoes grow by piling up layers of lava, but these slopes can become unstable and collapse, especially during eruptions or earthquakes.

This can cause millions of tons of rock to slide into the ocean, creating mega-tsunamis that devastate nearby islands. The islands’ steep terrain makes these events particularly dangerous.

Around 105,000 years ago, a 1,000-foot wave slammed into Lanai, leaving marine fossils high on its mountains 

Kīlauea has been actively spewing out lava for months. The last eruption in its ongoing cycle ended on May 6

Hawaii’s volcanoes remain active, with the Big Island’s southeast side – home to ‘younger’ volcanoes like Kilauea and Mauna Loa – posing the greatest threat.

In fact, Kilauea has been actively spewing out lava for months. The last eruption in its ongoing cycle ended on May 6.

Penn State researchers warn that these unstable slopes could collapse again, triggering massive waves.

The ongoing volcanic activity and frequent earthquakes keep the islands at high risk for tsunamis.

Scientists are monitoring volcanic movements and landslide-prone areas, but residents and visitors must remain ready for sudden tsunami alerts and evacuation orders.

The West Coast

On January 26, 1700, a magnitude 9 earthquake along the Cascadia Subduction Zone unleashed a mega-tsunami that destroyed the village of Pachena Bay on the West Coast.

Waves up to 100 feet high struck just 30 minutes after the quake, leaving no survivors.

Huu-ay-aht Chief Louis Clamhouse, speaking in 1964, shared the oral history: ‘The land shook at night… they had no time to escape. All drowned.’

The quake also lowered coastal forests into the tidal zone, creating ‘ghost forests’ of dead tree stumps still visible today. Across the Pacific, Japan recorded a mysterious tsunami, later linked to this event.

Unlike landslide-driven tsunamis, the Cascadia mega-tsunami was caused by a massive seismic event, where one tectonic plate slides beneath another.

This movement displaces massive amounts of ocean water, sending tsunamis across vast distances. The 1700 event showed how far-reaching these waves can be.

The US Geological Survey and FEMA have estimated that there’s a 37 percent chance of a magnitude 8 to 9 earthquake in the Cascadia Subduction Zone within the next 50 years 

The Cascadia Subduction Zone remains one of the most active seismic zones in North America, with a high chance of another major earthquake in the coming decades.

A similar event could trigger a tsunami like Japan’s 2011 Tohoku-oki disaster, which killed nearly 16,000 people.

The US Geological Survey and FEMA have estimated that there’s a 37 percent chance of a magnitude 8 to 9 earthquake in Cascadia within the next 50 years.

Coastal towns like Tillamook, Astoria, and Newport could be submerged, with parts of the coast sinking permanently.

Researchers are improving early warning systems and evacuation plans, but the region’s vulnerability to earthquakes keeps the tsunami threat alive.

Alaska, Hawaii, and the West Coast face ongoing risks of mega-tsunamis due to their active geology and changing environments.

Landslides fueled by melting glaciers in Alaska, unstable volcanoes in Hawaii, and powerful earthquakes along the West Coast could unleash catastrophic waves, as they have in the past.

While scientists monitor these dangers and communities prepare through planning and education, the threat remains real.

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