The present paper describes an approximation for estimation of earthquake-induced hydrodynamic loads in rigid storage tank which accelerated in horizontal direction. The storage tank is vertically cylindrical, and the sectional shape may be circular, rectangular or irregular. The solution for harmonic excitation is studied based on velocity potential theory, and then the time domain solution for earthquake is obtained by using design response spectrum. As a result, earthquake load is influenced primarily by the inertia force of high frequency effective mass of the storage tank, responding to the characteristics of design response spectrum, tank sectional shape, and the ratio of tank base length to depth. Earthquake-induced hydrodynamic loads in rigid storage tank can be effectively obtained by using the high frequency approximation method in case of quite large, or small ratio of the tank base length to water depth.