Remembering the 1964 tsunami devastated these B.C. towns | Daily Hive

Remembering the 1964 tsunami that devastated these B.C. towns

Port Alberni Maritime Heritage Museum

This week’s tsunami advisory for the coast of B.C. wasn’t the first time the ocean posed a threat to the region.

But one event sticks out in particular, and that’s the tsunami that pummeled the province’s west coast over six decades ago.

On March 27, 1964, one of the strongest earthquakes recorded in history rocked Anchorage, Alaska.

The massive seismic event was recorded as a magnitude 9.2 earthquake and caused major damage, resulting in 131 deaths.

The earthquake prompted a huge 8.2-meter tsunami that completely destroyed a small Alaskan village known as Chenga and killed 23 of its 68 residents.

Port Alberni Maritime Heritage Society

But the tsunami activity didn’t end there — at around midnight on March 28, a huge wave hurled its way towards the B.C. towns of Alberni and Port Alberni. This first wave was around 2.44 metres high.

About one hour later, a 3.05 metre wave made its way towards the towns, causing major destruction, as bridges, buildings, and vehicles were toppled over. Thankfully, there were no fatalities reported.

There were four more waves that came after this, ranging between 1.52 and 1.83 meters, according to author J.Tardif for the Port Alberni Maritime Heritage Society.

Damages for both towns were estimated to be around $5,000,000.

“Many residents awoke to the terrifying sound of rushing water, scrambling to escape as the floodwaters rose,” notes Alberni Valley Tourism on its website.

Aerial view of Port Alberni. (EB Adventure Photography/Shutterstock)

“Over 300 homes and businesses suffered damage, with some completely swept away.”

In 1966, the towns amalgamated into one (now known just as Port Alberni). Each year, residents and locals remember the impact of the tsunami.

In 2024, a special 60th-anniversary commemoration was held, bringing the community together.

Is B.C. prepared for another massive tsunami?

Tofino, B.C., during a storm (Carrie Cole/Shutterstock)

While the waves that prompted the recent tsunami were not big enough to cause damage to the B.C. coast, the province is located within the Pacific Ring of Fire, meaning that we’re at risk for seismic events (and their aftermath) at any time.

Earlier this week, Daily Hive got in touch with the BC Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness to learn more about the province’s current tsunami emergency plan.

The province has a tsunami warning system in place, with various alert levels.

The highest alert level is a warning, which suggests a full evacuation due to potential flood waves.

There are also a number of ways folks will be alerted about an emergency. One tool is the EmergencyInfoBC website, and also the @EmergencyInfoBC X account.

The province also may issue “intrusive emergency alerts” for wildfires, floods, extreme heat and tsunamis.

“In the event of a tsunami warning, people in an affected area would receive an intrusive B.C. Emergency alert warning them of the risk via television, radio and compatible mobile devices,” the ministry told Daily Hive.

A tsunami warning is the highest level of alert. It means a tsunami wave is occurring or expected, and people are advised to evacuate,” the ministry told Daily Hive.

Since 2017, B.C. has allocated nearly $3 million in funding for tsunami preparedness. There has been an additional $6 million in funding through the Community Emergency Preparedness Fund for local governments and First Nations to aid in public notification and evacuation-route planning.

B.C. also has a website dedicated to tsunami preparedness.

With files from Amir Ali

You might also like:

Want to stay on top of all things Vancouver? Follow us on X