Tsunamis of New Zealand
Every tsunami NOAA records that began in or off New Zealand, oldest to newest.
New Zealand’s tsunamis on the map
At the source, colored by the highest water recorded. A ring is an event NCEI rates doubtful or questionable.
- Under 1 m
- 1 to 3 m
- 3 to 10 m
- 10 to 30 m
- 30 m and more
- Height not recorded
The record
- Events
- 92
- Probable or definite
- 51
- Deaths counted
- 471
The deadliest
- February 2, 1931, N. New Zealand
- February 21, 2011, South Island, New Zealand
- June 16, 1929, Tasman Sea, New Zealand
- October 18, 1848, Wellington, New Zealand
- November 13, 2016, Off East Coast of South Island, New Zealand
- February 26, 1905, N. New Zealand
- March 20, 1910, Lake Taupo, North Island, New Zealand
- October 6, 1914, Tolaga Bay, North Island, New Zealand
Every event
Newest first.
- December 2, 2025, North Island, New Zealand
- March 25, 2025, Puysegur Trench, New Zealand
- April 24, 2023, S of Raoul Island, Kermadec Islands, New Zealand
- November 30, 2022, Lake Taupo, North Island, New Zealand
- January 29, 2022, Kermadec Islands, New Zealand
- March 4, 2021, S of Raoul Island, Kermadec Islands, New Zealand
- March 4, 2021, S of Raoul Island, Kermadec Islands, New Zealand
- March 4, 2021, Gisborne, New Zealand
- June 18, 2020, S of Raoul Island, Kermadec Islands, New Zealand
- June 15, 2019, S of Raoul Island, Kermadec Islands, New Zealand
- November 13, 2016, Off East Coast of South Island, New Zealand
- September 1, 2016, Gisborne, New Zealand
- June 23, 2014, S of Raoul Island, Kermadec Islands, New Zealand
- September 30, 2013, S of Raoul Island, Kermadec Islands, New Zealand
- August 16, 2013, Wellington, New Zealand
- July 21, 2013, Cook Strait, New Zealand
- October 21, 2011, Kermadec Islands, New Zealand
- July 6, 2011, Kermadec Islands, New Zealand
- February 21, 2011, South Island, New Zealand
- July 15, 2009, Off West Coast of South Island, New Zealand
- September 30, 2007, Auckland Islands, New Zealand
- November 22, 2004, Puysegur Trench, New Zealand
- August 21, 2003, South Island, New Zealand
- November 4, 2002, Albert Town, New Zealand
- June 18, 1993, Kermadec Islands, New Zealand
- May 20, 1987, Deep Cove, New Zealand
- October 20, 1986, Kermadec Islands, New Zealand
- May 25, 1981, New Zealand
- October 10, 1978, Off East Coast of South Island, New Zealand
- January 14, 1976, Kermadec Islands, New Zealand
- September 28, 1970, New Zealand
- July 25, 1968, Kermadec Islands, New Zealand
- March 2, 1956, Lake Taupo, North Island, New Zealand
- March 14, 1950, N. New Zealand
- May 17, 1947, Off Coast of North Island, New Zealand
- March 25, 1947, Off Coast of North Island, New Zealand
- February 2, 1936, Goose Bay, South Island, New Zealand
- September 15, 1932, N. New Zealand
- February 19, 1931, N. New Zealand
- February 13, 1931, N. New Zealand
- February 2, 1931, N. New Zealand
- June 16, 1929, Tasman Sea, New Zealand
- 1926, Tolaga Bay, North Island, New Zealand
- July 19, 1924, Chatham I., New Zealand
- December 25, 1922, SE. New Zealand
- November 16, 1917, Kermadec Islands, New Zealand
- May 1, 1917, Kermadec Islands, New Zealand
- October 6, 1914, Tolaga Bay, North Island, New Zealand
- February 22, 1913, Tasman Sea, New Zealand
- March 20, 1910, Lake Taupo, North Island, New Zealand
- February 26, 1905, N. New Zealand
- August 25, 1904, New Zealand
- August 8, 1904, Cape Turnagain, New Zealand
- September 21, 1897, Wellington, New Zealand
- April 29, 1897, Off East Coast of South Island, New Zealand
- August 18, 1895, Lake Taupo, North Island, New Zealand
- July 9, 1895, Piegon Bay, New Zealand
- September 16, 1891, New Brighton, New Zealand
- June 22, 1891, New Zealand
- December 1886, Jackson Bay, South Island, New Zealand
- June 1, 1886, Lake Tarawera, North Island, New Zealand
- April 13, 1882, Glenburn, Wairarapa, New Zealand
- June 29, 1881, Pigeon Bay (Banks Peninsula), New Zealand
- September 8, 1880, Gisborne, New Zealand
- April 27, 1879, Greymouth, New Zealand
- December 1, 1877, Waipiro Bay, New Zealand
- August 1871, Hokitika River, South Island, New Zealand
- March 1871, Westport, New Zealand
- April 29, 1870, Westport, New Zealand
- April 6, 1870, Wellington, New Zealand
- March 31, 1869, South Island, New Zealand
- March 2, 1869, New Zealand
- January 4, 1869, North Island, New Zealand
- October 18, 1868, New Zealand
- September 15, 1858, SE. New Zealand
- August 6, 1858, New Zealand
- March 1856, S Canterbury Province, South Island, New Zealand
- February 11, 1855, New Zealand
- February 3, 1855, Wharanui, New Zealand
- January 23, 1855, Northern Island, New Zealand
- October 18, 1848, Wellington, New Zealand
- October 17, 1848, Cook Strait, New Zealand
- October 15, 1848, Cook Strait, New Zealand
- May 7, 1846, Lake Taupo, North Island, New Zealand
- July 5, 1845, N. New Zealand
- July 8, 1843, New Zealand
- August 1840, East Cape, New Zealand
- July 28, 1840, Whitianga, New Zealand
- 1839, Waikawa, Southland, New Zealand
- 1831, Poverty Bay, North Island, New Zealand
- 1826, Dusky Sound, New Zealand
- 1810, New Zealand
By country
- Albania13
- Algeria16
- Antarctica8
- Antigua and Barbuda2
- Argentina6
- Atlantic Ocean4
- Australia59
- Azerbaijan5
- Baltic Sea1
- Bangladesh6
- Barbados3
- Brazil13
- Bulgaria4
- Cameroon2
- Canada36
- Chile169
- China44
- Colombia8
- Congo2
- Cook Islands4
- Costa Rica19
- Croatia18
- Cuba7
- Cyprus6
- Dead Sea1
- Denmark1
- Dominica1
- Dominican Republic6
- East China Sea2
- Ecuador9
- Egypt5
- El Salvador8
- Eritrea1
- Fiji9
- Finland1
- France15
- French Polynesia5
- Georgia2
- Germany2
- Ghana3
- Greece189
- Greenland9
- Grenada2
- Guadeloupe8
- Guatemala9
- Haiti13
- Honduras7
- Iceland10
- India21
- Indonesia269
- Iran6
- Ireland1
- Irish Sea1
- Israel9
- Italy162
- Jamaica11
- Japan385
- Jordan2
- Kenya1
- Kermadec Islands4
- Korea1
- Lebanon6
- Marshall Islands1
- Martinique12
- Mexico84
- Micronesia6
- Montenegro4
- Montserrat5
- Morocco4
- Myanmar3
- Nauru1
- Nepal1
- Netherlands6
- New Caledonia25
- New Zealand92
- Nicaragua8
- North Korea3
- North Sea1
- Northwest Pacific Ocean2
- Norway33
- Pacific Ocean1
- Pakistan4
- Panama10
- Papua New Guinea82
- Peru77
- Philippines113
- Poland2
- Portugal43
- Romania3
- Russia112
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines2
- Samoa16
- Scotland1
- Senegal1
- Solomon Islands48
- South Africa4
- South Korea14
- Spain19
- Sri Lanka2
- Sudan1
- Sweden3
- Switzerland4
- Syria8
- Taiwan29
- Togo3
- Tonga23
- Trinidad and Tobago4
- Tunisia2
- Turkey77
- Turkmenistan3
- UK Territories5
- Ukraine12
- United Kingdom52
- United States288
- Uruguay4
- US Territories27
- Vanuatu53
- Venezuela28
- Vietnam6
- Wallis and Futuna1
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.