Tsunamis in the Philippines

Dear insansapinas,

It all started when I remembered the story of my grandmother about the tsunami that struck their island.
The company had built a seawall made of timber which must have cautioned the impact of the tsunami. Nevertheless, she said that the moment they saw the water receded, they tied themselves in the coconut trees to avoid being swept away to the ocean. I did not know if there were casualties, all I can remember was that she mentioned that the cocounut trees merely bent and swayed with the waves and the family was safe.


I did not understand the story since I was very young then. Didn't even know what tidal wave was. All I know was, it left fear in my heart that every time I saw the waves, it reminded me of the story. I did not know the exact year so I did a little research and I found the following information from Tsunamis which I tabulated below. 
All the tables below indicated the dates and the locations where the tsunamis struck. The intensity column refers to the magnitude of eaethquake that triggered the tsunamis including those from the neighboring countries. It can be observed that it was only later when the intensities were measured. It was a problem of what standard to use?


Are we going yo be hit by tsunami?

Table 1 shows the tsunamis in Western Luzon Island from 1627
to 1934.

Date		Location		Intensity/ Earthquake
06-00-1627		W. Luzon Is.		n/a
09-14-1627		W. Luzon Is		8.00
00-00-1628		W. Luzon Is		n/a
02-28-1638		W. Luzon Is		n/a
11-30-1645		W. Luzon Is		n/a
12-05-1645		W. Luzon Is		n/a
12-07-1677		W. Luzon Is		n/a
00-00-1744		W. Luzon Is		n/a
12-00-1770		W. Luzon Is		n/a
10-26-1824		W. Luzon Is.		n/a
11-09-1828		W. Luzon Is		7.5
01-18-1830		W. Luzon Is		n/a
09-16-1830		W. Luzon Is		n/a
09-16-1852		W. Luzon Is		7.5
03-04-1862		W. Luzon Is		n/a
06-03-1863		W. Luzon Is		6.5
07-14-1880		W. Luzon Is		n/a
09-23-1887		W. Luzon Is.		n/a
12-08-1905		W. Luzon Is.		6.5
11-19-1915		W. Luzon Is		6.4
02-27-1922		W. Luzon Is		6.3
06-02-1924		W. Luzon Is		n/a
05-05-1925		W. Luzon Is		6.8
05-25-1925		W. Luzon Is		6.2
02-14-1934		W. Luzon Is		7.6
08-20-1937		W. Luzon Is		7.5

The most visited place of tsunamis is Western Luzon with 27 recorded events from 1627 to 1937. The last tsunami was in 1937 yet. Why did it stop? Is there any possibility that it is going to strike again in this region?
It has been 74 years since 1937. The longest time that there was no tsunami in Western Luzon was between 1824 and 1770 or a total of 54-tsunami free period.



Table 2 shows the tsunamis in Eastern Luzon Island from 1735
to to 1968. 

Date		Location		Intensity
02-27-1735		E. Luzon Island		n/a
12-00-1735		E. Luzon Island		n/a
07-18-1880		E. Luzon Island		n/a
09-10-1901		E. Luzon Island		7.0
09-05-1949		E. Luzon Island		n/a
12-29-1949		E. Luzon Island		7.2
01-08-1968		E. Luzon Island		7.3

Eastern Luzon experienced seven tsunamis since 1735 to 1968. Note that in year 1735, there were two tsunamis recorded and another two in 1949; 48 years of its absence since 1901

Table 3 shows the tsunamis in Taal, Luzon from 1716 to 1965

Date		Location		Intensity
09-24-1716		Taal, LUZON I.		n/a
05-13-1745		Taal, LUZON I.		n/a
08-11-1749		Taal, LUZON I.		n/a
01-27-1911		Taal, LUZON I.		n/a
09-28-1965		Taal, LUZON I.		n/a

The intensities of the earthquakes were not available. It is not much visited
by tsunamis. There were only two in the 20 the century.


Table 4 shows the tsunamis in Samar Visayas from 1747 to 1995

Date		Location		Intensity
07-00-1747		SAMAR, Visayas		n/a
12-25-1933		SAMAR, Visayas		n/a
04-21-1995		SAMAR, Visayas		6.3
04-21-1995		SAMAR, Visayas		7.3

After a long absence of no tsunami since 1747, there were three recorded in 1900's; the latest of which was in 1995.


Table 5 Tsunamis in Sulu Sea from 1653 to 1948

Date		Location		Intensity
06-00-1653		SULU SEA		n/a
02-00-1675		SULU SEA		n/a
03-00-1675		SULU SEA		n/a
10-13-1865		SULU SEA		n/a
05-25-1889		SULU SEA		n/a
05-26-1889		SULU SEA		n/a
12-30-1910		SULU SEA		6.2
01-03-1922		SULU SEA		6.0
07-18-1923		SULU SEA		5.5
11-25-1925		SULU SEA		5.5
06-15-1928		SULU SEA		7.0
05-07-1939		SULU SEA		6.5
1-24-1948		SULU SEA		6.5
01-25-1948		SULU SEA		8.2

In the Mindanao region, Sulu Sea was the place most visited by tsunamis.Since 1910, there were 14 events recorded,
However, the last tsunami was in 1948.






Table 6 shows the tsunamis in Philippine Trench from 1911 to 1975

Date		Location		Intensity
07-12-1911		PHIL.TRENCH		7.7
03-14-1913		PHIL.TRENCH		8.3
11-11-1921		PHIL.TRENCH		7.5
04-14-1924		PHIL.TRENCH		8.3
01-10-1970		PHIL.TRENCH		7.3
09-30-1970		PHIL.TRENCH		5.3
10-31-1975		PHIL.TRENCH		7.6

The tsunamis happened mostly in the 70's.

Table 7 shows the Tsunamis in Mindanao Island from 1919 to 2002

Date		Location		Intensity
01-02-1919		MINDANAO IS.		7.4
12-02-1972		MINDANAO IS.		7.4
06-14-1978		MINDANAO IS.		6.9
04-04-1990		MINDANAO IS.		7.5
03-05-2002		MINDANAO IS.		7.2

The latest tsunami in Mindanao Island was 2002.



Table 8 shows the Tsunamis in Eastern Mindanao from 1921 to 1952

Date		Location		Intensity
12-11-1921		E. MINDANAO		7.5
04-15-1924		E. MINDANAO		8.3
08-30-1924		E. MINDANAO		7.2
09-13-1929		E. MINDANAO		7.2
03-19-1952		E. MINDANAO		7.9

Table 9 shows the Tsunamis in the Philippines without specific places.

Date		Location		Intensity
08-12-1749		PHILIPPINES		n/a
10-19-1865		PHILIPPINES		n/a
10-19-1897		PHILIPPINES		6.5
02-00-1903		PHILIPPINES		n/a
06-09-1909		PHILIPPINES		n/a
11-12-1921		PHILIPPINES		7.5
12-26-1933		PHILIPPINES		n/a
06-19-1935		PHILIPPINES		7.2
08-23-1936		PHILIPPINES		7.3
09-05-1949		PHILIPPINES		6.0
11-05-1949		PHILIPPINES		6.0
08-17-1976		PHILIPPINES		6.8
05-17-1992		PHILIPPINES		7.5
05-15-1995		PHILIPPINES		7.0

If my guess is right, the tsunami which hit my grandma's island was in the year 1949.

Pinaysaamerika