December 11, 1999 Tsunami: Luzon Island, Philippines
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7.3 earthquake began at Luzon Island, Philippines on December 11, 1999 at 18:03:36 UTC. The water rose as high as 1.5 meters. Its effects were recorded at 2 places. It killed 5 people, counting the earthquake or eruption that caused it.
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
- December 11, 1999, 18:03:36 UTC
- Source
- Luzon Island, Philippines
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- Magnitude 7.3
- Maximum water height
- 1.5 m (4.9 ft)
- Runups recorded
- 2
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Probable tsunami
- Source location
- 15.766° N, 119.740° E
The toll
- Deaths
- 5 with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
- Injuries
- 40 with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
- Damage
- $1.8 million with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
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.
It was in the towns of Iba and Palauig that tsunamis were reported. In Iba, a sound was heard during the earthquake, similar to one produced during typhoons that came from the sea. One person saw the sea receding and exposing corals and the rocky bottom. A few minutes later, the sea level rose by as much as 1.5 m and inundated shore areas by as much as 10 m. The wave came from the SW direction from Iba and many people noticed the unusual sea level change. Water level went back to normal 30 minutes later (Sevilla et al, 1999). (reference #10958)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palauig, Luzon Island | Philippines | 40 | Eyewitness observation of water height | ||||
| Iba, Luzon Island | Philippines | 55 | 1.5 | 10 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1999The 1900sTsunamis of PhilippinesThis 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 5998.