September 21, 1897 Tsunami: Wellington, New Zealand
A tsunami caused by an earthquake began at Wellington, New Zealand on September 21, 1897 at 07:14 UTC. The water rose as high as 1 meters. 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
- September 21, 1897, 07:14 UTC
- Source
- Wellington, New Zealand
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- The earthquake
- Maximum water height
- 1 m (3.3 ft)
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Very doubtful tsunami
- Source location
- 41.300° S, 174.800° 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 #2713:
At a meeting of the Wellington Philosophical Society it was mentioned that "... on the evening of the earthquake-- the 21st September -- a party from Government House, returning from an excursion on the harbour, had observed an unusual wave in the sea like a tidal wave." The Evening Post noted that a number of exaggerated rumors of the effects of this earthquake were circulating in Wellington. It makes no mention of unusual waves.
Reference #5324:
Unusual wave reported.
Max height reached at the limit of inundating relative to sea level at time: 1 m.
Max onshore height reached relative to sea level at time: 1 m.
No of significant (>1 m) waves: 1.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wellington | New Zealand | 2 | 1 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1897The 1800sTsunamis of New ZealandThe earthquakeThis 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 1243.