September 8, 1991 Earthquake: Wellington, Wanganui, New Zealand
A magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck Wellington, Wanganui, New Zealand on September 8, 1991 at 13:50:30 UTC, 88 km below the surface.
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
- September 8, 1991
- Time
- 13:50:30 UTC
- Place
- Wellington, Wanganui, New Zealand
- Magnitude
- 5.6 (mb)
- Focal depth
- 88 km (55 mi)
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 40.250° S, 175.053° E
- Country
- New Zealand
The toll
- Damage
- Moderate (about $1 to $5 million)
- Houses damaged
- Many (101 to 1,000)
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.
1991, Sept 8. Damage to many buildings at Wellington and Wonganui. Felt from Auckland to Christchurch, South Island.
(reference #1053)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- February 2, 1931, Hawke Bay, New Zealand
- October 18, 1848, Awatere River, Marlborough, New Zealand
- July 5, 1845, N. New Zealand
- July 8, 1843, Wanganui, New Zealand
- March 5, 1934, North Island, New Zealand
- January 20, 2014, Wellington, Manawatu-Wanganui, New Zealand
- May 13, 1990, Dannevirke, Wellington, New Zealand
- January 20, 2005, North Island, New Zealand
- January 23, 1855, Wellington,waiouru,wanganui,otaki, New Zealand
- October 15, 1848, Northern New Zealand
- December 3, 2011, Cook Strait, New Zealand
- October 5, 1980, Gisborne, Hawera, Eastbourne, Napier, New Zealand
- February 21, 1973, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand
- September 6, 2010, Porangahau, North Island, New Zealand
- March 2, 1956, North Island, New Zealand
More
Significant earthquakes of 1991The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1991Recent 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 5305.