We usually associate tsunamis with the Pacific Ocean and the Ring of Fire. There have been records of tsunamis on all the other oceans, and the seas. The Great Lakes, never, but like all large bodies of water they are capable of and have had tsunamis. This may come as a surprise to some people, but they have been documented many times. The best documented tsunamis are on Lake Ontario, but undoubtedly there have been others on the Great Lakes.
On April 25, 1854 which was otherwise calm the lake in front of Niagara-on-the Lake suddenly receded some 500 feet from the shore. This was followed by s series of huge waves that were about 8 feet high. These giant waves wrecked shore installations, and drowned two fishermen that were caught in them. The waves also brought up great quantities of trees and other flotsam that was deposited along the shore. The tsunami was carried in newspaper accounts by the Niagara Mail and the Canadian Journal. There are sudden changes in the lake levels brought about by strong winds that will pile up the water in front of them called "seiches." This possibility was discussed, but discarded as there were no high winds on that day.
Another tsunami was reported by the Coburg, Ontario "Star" on January 9, 1847 when it was reported that the lake was calm when the water in front of the town suddenly receded by 350 feet from the shore leaving the beach completely dry. This was followed by one huge wave that swept everything before it, and was accompanied by a terrible roaring noise.
Other Great Lakes tsunamis occurred in 1847, 1863, 1895, 1923 and 1930. These tsunamis are often confused with seiches that are caused by heavy blowing winds causing the water to pile up before them. They are rarely more then 3 feet high. Because the lakes are like a bathtub seiche waves or tsunamis can slosh back and forth for hours before receding. There are literally thousands of newspaper accounts of seiches on the lakes. Some of these reports could have been confused with true tsunamis.
