"Can and will happen": A deadly ‘tsunami from the sky’ could soon hit the US, warn experts

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The disaster may be a warning of what’s to come. Experts say it’s a matter of when, not if, another deadly ‘tsunami from the sky’ strikes one of the world’s icy mountain regions – including in the US.

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That uncertainty reflects just how complicated these disasters can be. Climate change is only one factor among many, says Alton Byers, a research scientist and mountain geographer at the University of Colorado Boulder’s Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research.

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In Alaska, McGuire adds, rapid ice loss can also remove enormous amounts of weight from the crust below, allowing faults to move and potentially increasing the risk of earthquakes. “In a circular manner, quakes caused by ice loss have the potential to trigger glacier collapse and breach meltwater lakes.”

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Cruise operators appear to have taken notice. At least three cruise lines adjusted their summer 2026 itineraries to avoid Tracy Arm, with ships either dropping the fjord from their routes or diverting elsewhere.

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Experts can also use satellites and ground-based sensors to check whether hillslopes are moving, says Robinson. Last year, the village of Blatten in Switzerland was able to use such monitoring to evacuate before a major landslide.