November 4, 2002 Tsunami: Albert Town, New Zealand
A tsunami caused by a landslide began at Albert Town, New Zealand on November 4, 2002. 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
- November 4, 2002
- Source
- Albert Town, New Zealand
- Cause
- Landslide
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Waters
- A lake or river, not the ocean
- How certain
- Definite tsunami
- Source location
- 44.700° S, 169.200° 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:
Source time: 14:00 (UTC).
Source location: Near Albert Town, on Clutha river.
The slipping of apart of the bank of the Clutha River, 15 m high and 60 m long , near the Albert Town Bidge and Lake Wanaka Outlet walking track, caused sloshing of the water in the river. Woman on opposite bank had water up to knees and forced to retreat. (Southland Times 5 November 2002)
Validity 4 (definite tsunami).
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albert Town | New Zealand | 0 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 2002The 2000sTsunamis 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 5532.