October 21, 2011 Tsunami: Kermadec Islands, New Zealand
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7.4 earthquake began at Kermadec Islands, New Zealand on October 21, 2011 at 17:57:16 UTC. The water rose as high as 0.14 meters. Its effects were recorded at 3 places in at least 2 countries.
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
- October 21, 2011, 17:57:16 UTC
- Source
- Kermadec Islands, New Zealand
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- Magnitude 7.4, 33 km deep
- Maximum water height
- 0.14 m (0.5 ft)
- Runups recorded
- 3
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Definite tsunami
- Source location
- 28.993° S, 176.238° W
The toll
The record gives no deaths, injuries or damage for this 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raoul Island, Boat Cove | New Zealand | 164 | 0.1 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 21, 18:05 | ||
| Raoul Island, Fishing Rock | New Zealand | 165 | 0.14 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 21, 18:07 | ||
| Ouinne | New Caledonia | 1,882 | 0.05 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) |
More
Every tsunami in 2011The 2000sTsunamis 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 5439.