August 31, 2012 Tsunami: Philippine Islands, Philippines
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7.6 earthquake began at Philippine Islands, Philippines on August 31, 2012 at 12:47:33 UTC. The water rose as high as 0.15 meters. Its effects were recorded at 18 places in at least 5 countries. It killed 1 person, 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
- August 31, 2012, 12:47:33 UTC
- Source
- Philippine Islands, Philippines
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- Magnitude 7.6, 28 km deep
- Maximum water height
- 0.15 m (0.5 ft)
- Runups recorded
- 18
- Warning
- Regional Tsunami Warning issued by PTWC for areas without a warning system
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Definite tsunami
- Source location
- 10.811° N, 126.638° E
The toll
- Deaths
- 1 with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
- Injuries
- 1 with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
- Damage
- $300,000 with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
- Houses destroyed
- Few (about 1 to 50) 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.
A magnitude 7.6 Mw earthquake off the coast of the Philippines produced a small tsunami that was observed tide gauges in the Philippines, Micronesia, Japan and the USA Territories of Midway, Saipan and Wake Island.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Legaspi | Philippines | 407 | 0.02 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 31, 13:23 | ||
| Davao | Philippines | 418 | 0.09 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 31, 13:51 | ||
| D52405 Bpr, Guam, GU | US Territories | 661 | 0.03 | Deep ocean gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 31, 13:31 | ||
| Malakal Island, Caroline Islands | Palau | 942 | 0.02 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 31, 14:10 | ||
| Yap Island, Caroline Islands | Micronesia | 1,268 | 0.02 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 31, 14:28 | ||
| D52404 Bpr, 760 NM NE of Manila | Philippines | 1,276 | 0.01 | Deep ocean gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 31, 14:14 | ||
| Ishigakiko | Japan | 1,519 | 0.05 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 31, 14:45 | ||
| Naha | Japan | 1,709 | 0.06 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 31, 15:04 | ||
| Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands, MP | US Territories | 2,128 | 0.03 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 31, 15:43 | ||
| D52403 Bpr, 430 NM SW of Truk | Micronesia | 2,325 | 0.01 | Deep ocean gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 31, 15:50 | ||
| Aburatsu | Japan | 2,352 | 0.04 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Chichijima Island | Japan | 2,430 | 0.12 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 31, 15:45 | ||
| Tosa-Shimizu | Japan | 2,517 | 0.09 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 31, 16:07 | ||
| Kushimoto | Japan | 2,678 | 0.15 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 31, 16:24 | ||
| Omaezaki | Japan | 2,886 | 0.11 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 31, 17:06 | ||
| Mera | Japan | 2,986 | 0.12 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 31, 17:17 | ||
| Wake Island, UM | US Territories | 4,389 | 0.04 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 31, 18:36 | ||
| Midway Islands, HI | US Territories | 6,128 | 0.04 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 31, 21:00 |
More
Every tsunami in 2012The 2000sTsunamis of PhilippinesThe 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 5463.