December 14, 2021 Tsunami: Flores Sea, Indonesia
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7.3 earthquake began at Flores Sea, Indonesia on December 14, 2021 at 03:20:24 UTC. The water rose as high as 0.6 meters. Its effects were recorded at 7 places.
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 14, 2021, 03:20:24 UTC
- Source
- Flores Sea, Indonesia
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- Magnitude 7.3, 18 km deep
- Maximum water height
- 0.6 m (2.0 ft)
- Runups recorded
- 7
- Warning
- Regional Tsunami Warning issued by PTWC for areas without a warning system
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Definite tsunami
- Source location
- 7.603° S, 122.200° E
The toll
- Injuries
- 98 with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
- Damage
- Limited (under about $1 million); Moderate (about $1 to $5 million) with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
- Houses destroyed
- 1; 470 with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
- Houses damaged
- 1; 266 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.
The result of sea level observations on Marapokot and Reo’s Badan Informasi Geospasial BIG Tide Gauge Station shows that there is a sea level rise of 7 cm BMKG. (reference #13095)
Although the earthquake generated strong shaking that was widely felt across Selayar, Flores, Alor, and Lembata, it did not produce a large tsunami. Subsequent analysis suggested that limited vertical displacement of the seafloor and the relatively deep rupture prevented significant wave generation. Nonetheless, tsunami waves propagated across the Flores Sea Basin, reaching the Selayar Islands approximately 15– 20 minutes after the main-shock. (reference #14338)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Tadu, Kalaotoa Island | Indonesia | 48 | Flow depth, post-tsunami survey | ||||
| East Tadu, Kalaotoa Island | Indonesia | 48 | 0.6 | Flow depth, post-tsunami survey | |||
| East Tadu, Kalaotoa Island | Indonesia | 48 | Runup height, post-tsunami survey | ||||
| East Tadu, Kalaotoa Island | Indonesia | 48 | Runup height, post-tsunami survey | ||||
| East Tadu, Kalaotoa Island | Indonesia | 48 | Runup height, post-tsunami survey | ||||
| Marapokot | Indonesia | 139 | 0.04 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Reo | Indonesia | 207 | 0.04 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) |
More
Every tsunami in 2021The 2000sTsunamis of IndonesiaThe 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 5822.