May 16, 1995 Earthquake: Port-Vila, Noumea, Vanuatu, New Caledonia
A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck Port-Vila, Noumea, Vanuatu, New Caledonia on May 16, 1995 at 20:12:44 UTC, 20 km below the surface. It caused a tsunami.
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
- May 16, 1995
- Time
- 20:12:44 UTC
- Place
- Port-Vila, Noumea, Vanuatu, New Caledonia
- Magnitude
- 7.7 (Ms)
- Focal depth
- 20 km (12 mi)
- Intensity
- 3 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- Yes: the tsunami it caused
- Epicenter
- 23.008° S, 169.900° E
- Country
- New Caledonia
The toll
The record gives no deaths, injuries or damage for this earthquake.
What the record says
NCEI’s account, from the sources it cites.
A magnitude 7.7 Mw earthquake in New Caledonia was felt (III) on the Loyalty Islands and at Noumea, New Caledonia and generated a tsunami Three events about 2.7
and 7.3 seconds apart. (reference #1053)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- May 20, 2023, Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia
- March 30, 2022, Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia
- March 31, 2022, Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia
- May 19, 2023, Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia
- January 3, 2004, Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia
- March 3, 2012, Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia
- August 29, 2018, Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia
- December 27, 2003, Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia
- August 9, 1901, Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia
- December 5, 2018, Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia
- March 16, 1928, Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia
- October 16, 2018, Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia
- September 14, 1943, Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia
- October 31, 2017, Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia
- February 10, 2021, Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia
More
Significant earthquakes of 1995The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1995Recent 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 5411.