Historical tsunamis · Dec 12, 1992, 5:29 AM UTC
1992 Flores Sea tsunami
Indonesia
The tsunami of Dec 12, 1992, 5:29 AM UTC originated near Flores Sea (Indonesia).
Key facts
- Date
- Dec 12, 1992, 5:29 AM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake and landslide
- Magnitude
- M7.8
- Depth
- 28 km
- Maximum documented water height
- 26.2 m
- Deaths
- 2,500
- Injuries
- 2,103
- Houses destroyed
- 31,785
- Damage
- US$ 100 million
- Observation records
- 91
- Countries affected
- 1
It was triggered by a magnitude 7.8 earthquake at a depth of 28 km.
The highest documented water height was 26.2 m (Riangkroko, Indonesia).
91 observation sites in 1 countries are recorded.
The database records 2,500 deaths.
Houses destroyed: 31,785.
Damage is estimated at US$ 100 million.
Map of observation sites
91Each dot is a documented observation site; colour and size show the observed water height. The triangle marks the source.
Tsunami arrival times
Documented arrival times from the NOAA/NCEI database, showing the earliest recorded location per country. Coverage is incomplete: a country without an entry was not necessarily spared.
- 0:00 hEarthquake (origin) · Dec 12, 1992, 5:29 AM UTC
- 1:44 hIndonesia · Palopo, Sulawesi · 0.27 m
1 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indonesia | 91 | 26.2 m Riangkroko | 1,154 | 1:44 h |
Highest documented water heights
15 / 91Individual documented observations for this event. Heights come from different measurement types and sources; not every location has a measured height.
| Location / station | Observed height | Distance from source | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riangkroko · East Nusa Tenggara | 26.20 m | 106 km | Indonesia |
| Riang-Kroko 4 · East Nusa Tenggara | 26.18 m | 104 km | Indonesia |
| Flores Island · East Nusa Tenggara | 25.00 m | 99 km | Indonesia |
| Riang-Kroko 3 · East Nusa Tenggara | 17.49 m | 104 km | Indonesia |
| Leworahang · East Nusa Tenggara | 14.00 m | 114 km | Indonesia |
| Leworahang · East Nusa Tenggara | 14.00 m | 110 km | Indonesia |
| Bunga-Koten (Bou Tanabeten) · East Nusa Tenggara | 12.25 m | 107 km | Indonesia |
| Uepadung · East Nusa Tenggara | 11.00 m | 105 km | Indonesia |
| Uepadung · East Nusa Tenggara | 10.98 m | 105 km | Indonesia |
| Lewobeleng · East Nusa Tenggara | 10.80 m | 112 km | Indonesia |
| Waibalan, Flores Is. · East Nusa Tenggara | 10.60 m | 119 km | Indonesia |
| Butung Is. · South East Sulawesi | 10.00 m | 331 km | Indonesia |
| Muna Is. · South East Sulawesi | 10.00 m | 345 km | Indonesia |
| Waibalan 1 · East Nusa Tenggara | 7.88 m | 111 km | Indonesia |
| Babi I. Moslem V-3 · East Nusa Tenggara | 7.15 m | 67 km | Indonesia |
More tsunamis
Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), Global Historical Tsunami Database. Confirmed events only. Deaths and damage are database estimates; older records are incomplete. Water heights come from different types of observation.