December 30, 2002 Eruption of Stromboli
Stromboli in Italy erupted on December 30, 2002 with a Volcanic Explosivity Index of 2. It caused a tsunami.
Where it erupted
Stromboli, Italy, with its other significant eruptions.
The eruption
- Date
- December 30, 2002
- Volcano
- Stromboli, stratovolcano
- Country
- Italy
- Volcanic Explosivity Index
- 2, moderate (eruption column 1 to 5 km)
- Tsunami
- Yes: the tsunami it caused
- Location
- 38.789° N, 15.213° E
The toll
- Injuries
- Few (about 1 to 50)
- Damage
- Limited (under about $1 million)
- Houses destroyed
- Few (about 1 to 50)
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.
On 30 December at 1315 and 1322 two landslides suddenly formed along the Sciara del Fuoco. As they traveled down the volcano's flank they produced wet, fine ashfall (less than 0.1 mm in size) on the island's SE side. The first landslide had a volume of about 600,000 m3, the second about 5,000,000 m3, and they both reached the sea. Upon contact with the sea the landslides produced two tsunamis with waves that were several meters high. The tsunamis injured few people, and damaged buildings and boats in the villages of Stromboli and Ginostra. Large waves were reported as far away as the town of Milazzo, on Sicily's N coast, 60 km S of Stromboli... According to several news articles, volcanic activity at Stromboli on 30 December caused a landslide, which entered the sea and generated a tsunami. The articles stated that in the small village of Ginostra, waves injured six people, and damaged homes and boats. Residents and tourists were evacuated to nearby Sicily. (reference #2432)
Other significant eruptions of Stromboli
More
Every eruption in 2002The 2000sStromboliEarthquakes near StromboliThis day in weather history
Sources
Volcanoes and significant eruptions 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. Volcano numbers are the Smithsonian Institution’s Global Volcanism Program’s. NCEI event 4703.