Damage from 1958 Lituya Bay tsunami. Tree-lined shoreline, seen in August 1958, stripped bare by the tsunami that occurred in Lituya Bay, Alaska, USA, on 9 July 1958. This narrow bay is subject to tsunamis caused by landslides from the surrounding mountains. The tsunami reached a height of 524 metres, and was the largest ever recorded. It was caused by a landslide of 30 million cubic metres of rock, loosened from this mountainside by an earthquake. This image is part of a series taken by D.J. Miller of the United States Geological Survey, showing the area before and after the 1958 tsunami. The series includes aerial photographs taken from the helicopter at far right.