August 25, 2008 Earthquake: North Island, New Zealand
A magnitude 5.5 earthquake struck North Island, New Zealand on August 25, 2008 at 11:25:19 UTC, 32 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
- August 25, 2008
- Time
- 11:25:19 UTC
- Place
- North Island, New Zealand
- Magnitude
- 5.5 (Mw)
- Focal depth
- 32 km (20 mi)
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 39.715° S, 176.851° E
- Country
- New Zealand
The toll
- Damage
- Moderate (about $1 to $5 million); Limited (under about $1 million) with its tsunami and other effects
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.
Slight damage at Hastings and Napier. Felt (VI) at Hastings, Havelock North and Taradale. Felt in much of the North Island from Hamilton and Whakatane to Wellington. Also felt in parts of the South Island. (reference #1053)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- February 2, 1931, Hawke Bay, New Zealand
- December 20, 2007, Off Coast North Island, New Zealand
- July 18, 2004, Rotorua, Tauranga, North Island, New Zealand
- March 2, 1987, North Island, Whakatani, Edgecumbe, New Zealand
- February 13, 1931, Northern New Zealand
- February 19, 1931, Northern New Zealand
- February 21, 1973, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand
- October 5, 1980, Gisborne, Hawera, Eastbourne, Napier, New Zealand
- September 6, 2010, Porangahau, North Island, New Zealand
- February 11, 1855, New Zealand
- August 8, 1904, E of North Island, New Zealand
- May 13, 1990, Dannevirke, Wellington, New Zealand
- September 15, 1932, Gisborne, Wairoa, New Zealand
- August 18, 1895, Taupo, New Zealand
- November 30, 2022, Taupo, New Zealand
More
Significant earthquakes of 2008The 2000sEvery quake the USGS located in 2008Recent 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 8173.