February 6, 2012 Tsunami: Tanon Strait, Philippines

Name: February 6, 2012 Tsunami: Tanon Strait, Philippines
Start: 2012-02-06
Location: Tanon Strait, Philippines

February 6, 2012 · 5 m · 51 deaths · $9 million · 15,000 houses destroyed · Definite tsunami

A tsunami caused by a magnitude 6.7 earthquake began at Tanon Strait, Philippines on February 6, 2012 at 03:49:12 UTC. The water rose as high as 5 meters. Its effects were recorded at 32 places. It killed 51 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

Tsunami warnings in force

The tsunami

Date: February 6, 2012, 03:49:12 UTC
Source: Tanon Strait, Philippines
Cause: Earthquake
Earthquake: Magnitude 6.7, 11 km deep
Maximum water height: 5 m (16.4 ft)
Runups recorded: 32
Waters: Ocean
How certain: Definite tsunami
Source location: 9.999° N, 123.206° E

The toll

Deaths: 51 with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
Missing: 62 with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
Injuries: 112 with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
Damage: $9 million with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
Houses destroyed: 4; 15,000 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.

Reference #10958:

This earthquake occurred at 11:49 AM and caused serious damages in the Negros Oriental municipalities of Ayungon, Tayasan and Guihulngan. More than a meter high waves were reported in the shores of La Libertad, Negros Occidental. The highest of the wave disturbance was reported in sitio Looc, Bgy Martilo in the same municipality (SPO1 Galileo P. Comendador, personal communications, 2012).

Reference #13969:

Sea retreat and unusually high waves along the east coast of Negros Oriental was reported.

[…] the tsunami hit approximately 100- km of eastern shoreline of Negros Oriental from San Jose to Vallehermoso, and approximately 35-km of the southwest shoreline of Cebu from Badian to Barili. Areas hardest hit was Barangays Martilo, Pisong, and Magtalisay in La Libertad, Negros Oriental where the tsunami wave height reached as high as 5 meters. Notably, witnesses observed two waves coming from north and south directions. Run-up was said to have impacted the shoreline, destroying some houses and small boats […] No casualty due to tsunami was reported.

A few seconds after the mainshock, most respondents saw the seawater receding at about 300 meters.

Generally, witness accounts of the tsunami arrival time are between 2 to 5 minutes after the earthquake, coinciding with the low tide level on that day. Some witnesses described hearing loud booming sound from the sea while others heard sounds similar to blowing wind. Others described the waves having a white foamy top and bluish to brownish mid- to bottom section.

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
Polopantao, Jimalalud	Philippines	1	1	10	Water height, post-tsunami survey
South Poblacion, Jimalalud	Philippines	2	1	10	Water height, post-tsunami survey
South Poblacion, Jimalalud	Philippines	3	2		Water height, post-tsunami survey
North Poblacion, LA Libertad	Philippines	5	4	200	Water height, post-tsunami survey
Looc, Martilo, LA Libertad	Philippines	6	5	50	Water height, post-tsunami survey
Sta Cruz, Tayasan	Philippines	6	0.5	10	Water height, post-tsunami survey
Habag, Martilo, LA Libertad	Philippines	7	4	100	Water height, post-tsunami survey
Cabulotan, Tayasan	Philippines	8	1	12	Water height, post-tsunami survey
Martilo, LA Libertad	Philippines	8	4		Water height, post-tsunami survey
Pisong, LA Libertad	Philippines	8	3	200	Water height, post-tsunami survey
Poblacion, Tayasan	Philippines	9	1.5	10	Water height, post-tsunami survey
Palaslan, Tayasan	Philippines	10	2	30	Water height, post-tsunami survey
Matu-Og, Tayasan	Philippines	11	4	50	Water height, post-tsunami survey
Mckinley, Guihulngan	Philippines	11	1.5	30	Water height, post-tsunami survey
Poblacion, Guihulngan	Philippines	15	1		Water height, post-tsunami survey
Tampocon II, Ayungon	Philippines	17	2	400	Water height, post-tsunami survey
Saavedra, Moalboal	Philippines	18	3	20	Water height, post-tsunami survey
Calamba, Guihulngan	Philippines	20	0.4		Water height, post-tsunami survey
Poblacion West, Moalboal	Philippines	21	2.2	100	Water height, post-tsunami survey
Poblacion, Ronda	Philippines	22	2.5	10	Water height, post-tsunami survey
Saragoza, Badian	Philippines	23	3		Water height, post-tsunami survey
Bolado, Guihulngan	Philippines	23	0.3		Water height, post-tsunami survey
Saragoza, Badian	Philippines	23			Water height, post-tsunami survey
Looc, Dumanjug	Philippines	26	1.6	22	Water height, post-tsunami survey
Basak, Guihulngan	Philippines	27	1	50	Water height, post-tsunami survey
Tangil, Dumanjug	Philippines	28	1		Water height, post-tsunami survey
Hilaitan, Guihulngan	Philippines	31	0.3		Water height, post-tsunami survey
Japitan, Barili	Philippines	34	1.9	150	Water height, post-tsunami survey
Poblacion, Vallehermosa	Philippines	39	0.5	15	Water height, post-tsunami survey
Hilocon, San Jose	Philippines	64	1	20	Water height, post-tsunami survey
Bantayan, Dumaguete City	Philippines		0.5	20	Water height, post-tsunami survey
Okiot, Bais City	Philippines		0.5		Water height, post-tsunami survey

Every tsunami in 2012 The 2000s Tsunamis of Philippines The earthquake This day in weather history Alerts 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 5993.