Lituya Bay, Alaska
A 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck the Fairweather Fault in southeast Alaska on July 10th, 1958. In conformity with the Western States Seismic Policy Council, this incident resulted in substantial geologic changes in the area, including a rockfall in Lituya Bay that produced the highest tsunami ever recorded, with a maximum height of 1,720 feet. This is almost as tall as One World Trade Center, an impressive building that was erected in Lower Manhattan following the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
As for the number of deaths, there were five fatalities. The first deadly incident happened at the mouth of Yakutat Bay on Khantaak Island, where three people died when the beach they were on collapsed 100 feet below sea level. The second one happened when the tsunami swamped a boat near Lituya Bay and the two passengers drowned.
