More than 2000 lives: a tragedy about which the leadership of the USSR was silent

Everyone heard about the deadly tsunami in Japan, Indonesia and the Philippines, but few people know that our country also fell victim to this natural disaster. On November 5, 1952, a severe earthquake occurred near the Kuril Islands, resulting in tsunamis with 18-meter waves.

The whole blow of the elements was taken by the city of Severo-Kurilsk, located on the island of Paramushir. Until 1952, most of the city was located directly on the coast, in a natural valley. Unfortunately, tsunamis in these parts are not uncommon, but the city turned out to be absolutely unprepared for elements of this magnitude. Moreover, at that time there was no reliable information about what a tsunami was and how to behave properly in such cases.

First, the first wave hit Severo-Kurilsk, the height of which, according to experts, reached 15-18 meters. This happened at 5 am local time. People ran out of their homes in a panic, and many managed to get out on a hill. But they did not know that in no case should one return back after the wave recedes into the sea. After the first wave, the second, more destructive, always comes, and after it the third.

The descending inhabitants were covered by the second wave, which came 20-30 minutes later. According to experts, this is precisely what caused such a large number of victims. According to official figures, on that terrible November day, the city of Severo-Kurilsk lost 2,300 people. In total, about 6,000 people lived in the city at that time. The military participated in the aftermath of the tsunami. On the same day, warm clothes were delivered from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, people were given medical care and meals were organized.

The infrastructure of the city was completely destroyed. It was decided not to restore the fish processing enterprises, the marina, residential buildings, social facilities and the military camp. Damage was too big. The city was rebuilt, and in the place where Severo-Kurilsk was located today is the port. This terrible event was classified, they did not write about it in the newspapers and did not broadcast it on the radio. They started talking openly about the tragedy of Severo-Kurilsk only in the 90s.

After the horror, the country's leadership thought about creating a reliable warning system for earthquakes and tsunamis. This primarily concerned the Pacific region. The Kuril Islands, the Kamchatka Peninsula, Sakhalin Island - they all belong to the territory of the Pacific Ring of Fire. This is the name of the region located on the periphery of the Pacific Ocean and characterized by increased seismic activity. It's all about lithospheric plates, on the borders of which earthquakes regularly occur. The Pacific plate in this regard is one of the most active on the planet, and its borders are even highlighted in a special zone called geophysicists by the Pacific Ring of Fire.

More than 60 years have passed since the disaster in Severo-Kurilsk. Today, about 2500 people live here, mainly in the fishing industry. The city was rebuilt, and only the monument of memory does not forget about that terrible day.