February 3, 1855 Tsunami: Wharanui, New Zealand
A tsunami caused by an earthquake began at Wharanui, New Zealand on February 3, 1855. Its effects were recorded at 1 place.
Where the waves reached
The source (white) and every runup with a place, colored by the water height recorded there. A ring is a runup NCEI marks doubtful.
- Under 1 m
- 1 to 3 m
- 3 to 10 m
- 10 to 30 m
- 30 m and more
- Height not recorded
The tsunami
- Date
- February 3, 1855
- Source
- Wharanui, New Zealand
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Definite tsunami
- Source location
- 41.930° S, 174.090° E
The toll
The record gives no deaths, injuries or damage for this tsunami.
What the record says
NCEI’s account, from the sources it cites.
Reference #5324:
1855, February 3rd.
Saturday 3rd February. ... went down to the beach [at The Flags]. Wind from the W. Myself, Duckworth, and a Maori went off to the "Sheperdess". Took two bales of wool. The boat leaked a good deal... 12 o'clock midday, blowing strong from the N.W. Hauled the boat up for a while until the wind lulled a little... At 4 o'clock p.m. the wind shifted to the S.E. Afraid the schooner will weigh anchor and be off, certainly if it blows harder. All hands working like the devil to get the wool on board as quick as possible. Gave the boatmen (and wool rollers) as much grog as they could work on and no more. Saw a heavy shock out at sea. It made the sea appear on the horizon like a hilly and undulating country; it also caused a swell on the beach for about an hour after ." (Trolove, 1855)
Every runup
Nearest the source first. Heights are above sea level at the time; a tide gauge reads half the wave’s full height.
| Where | Country | Km from source | Water height, m | Inland, m | Measured by | First wave, UTC | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wharanui | New Zealand | 0 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1855The 1800sTsunamis of New ZealandThis day in weather historyAlerts in force
Sources
Tsunami events and runups 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 tsunami event 5523.