December 25, 1982 Earthquake: Eastern, Flores Island, Indonesia
A magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck Eastern, Flores Island, Indonesia on December 25, 1982 at 12:28:02 UTC, 33 km below the surface. It killed 13 people.
Map
Where it struck, with the other significant earthquakes within 200 km. Circles are sized and colored by magnitude; select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Date
- December 25, 1982
- Time
- 12:28:02 UTC
- Place
- Eastern, Flores Island, Indonesia
- Magnitude
- 5.9 (Ms)
- Focal depth
- 33 km (21 mi)
- Tsunami
- Yes: the tsunami it caused
- Epicenter
- 8.405° S, 123.080° E
- Country
- Indonesia
The toll
- Deaths
- 13
- Injuries
- 390
- Damage
- $1.5 million
- Houses destroyed
- 1,875
Where the literature gives no number, NCEI records a description on a scale of 1 to 4, printed here in its words. Damage is in millions of US dollars of the year of the event, not adjusted for inflation.
What the record says
NCEI’s account, from the sources it cites.
Thirteen people killed, 390 injured, 1,875 homes destroyed and other buildings damaged; landslides and
uncomfirmed local tsunami. (reference #1053)
13 killed, 417 injured, $1.45 million damage. (reference #1250)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- December 12, 1992, Flores Region, Maumere, Babi, Indonesia
- April 18, 1896, Alor Island, Timor, Indonesia
- August 14, 2026, Flores Region, Indonesia
- November 26, 1987, Pantar, Mount Sirung, Timor, Indonesia
- November 11, 2004, Kepulauan Alor, Indonesia
- July 4, 1991, Kalabahi, Dili, Timor, Indonesia
- March 16, 1961, Endeh, Flores, Indonesia
- March 22, 1944, Flores, Indonesia
- April 23, 2004, Kupang, Timor, Indonesia
- October 5, 1891, Timor Sea, Indonesia
- December 14, 2021, Flores Region, Indonesia
- November 4, 2015, Alor, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia
More
Significant earthquakes of 1982The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1982Recent earthquakes near hereThis day in weather history
Sources
Significant earthquakes from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, Global Historical Hazard Database, cited as NCEI/WDS, doi:10.7289/V5PN93H7. Public domain. Read 2026-09-24. NCEI earthquake 4959.