Historical tsunamis · Nov 13, 2016, 11:02 AM UTC
2016 Off East Coast of South Island tsunami
New Zealand
The tsunami of Nov 13, 2016, 11:02 AM UTC originated near Off East Coast of South Island (New Zealand).
Key facts
- Date
- Nov 13, 2016, 11:02 AM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Magnitude
- M7.8
- Depth
- 15 km
- Maximum documented water height
- 6.50 m
- Deaths
- 2
- Injuries
- some (about 51–100)
- Houses destroyed
- 1
- Damage
- US$ 3,900 million
- Observation records
- 17
- Countries affected
- 1
It was triggered by a magnitude 7.8 earthquake at a depth of 15 km.
The highest documented water height was 6.50 m (Goose Bay, New Zealand).
17 observation sites in 1 countries are recorded.
The database records 2 deaths.
Houses destroyed: 1.
Damage is estimated at US$ 3,900 million.
Map of observation sites
17Each 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) · Nov 13, 2016, 11:02 AM UTC
- 0:10 hNew Zealand · Kaikoura · 0.97 m
1 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand | 17 | 6.50 m Goose Bay | — | 0:10 h |
Highest documented water heights
15 / 17Individual 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goose Bay · Canterbury | 6.50 m | 48 km | New Zealand |
| Oaro · Canterbury | 4.90 m | 45 km | New Zealand |
| Little Pigeon Bay · Canterbury | 4.00 m | 100 km | New Zealand |
| Needles Point · Marlborough | 3.90 m | 133 km | New Zealand |
| Limestone Bay · Canterbury Classified as doubtful | 3.40 m | 63 km | New Zealand |
| Decanter Bay · Canterbury | 3.10 m | 102 km | New Zealand |
| Fyffe Quay, Kaikoura · Canterbury | 3.00 m | 64 km | New Zealand |
| Big Bay · Canterbury | 2.90 m | 99 km | New Zealand |
| Rileys Lookout · Canterbury | 2.30 m | 51 km | New Zealand |
| Pigeon Bay · Canterbury | 2.00 m | 105 km | New Zealand |
| Paia Point · Canterbury | 1.60 m | 49 km | New Zealand |
| Kaikoura | 0.97 m | 64 km | New Zealand |
| Sumner Head | 0.60 m | 95 km | New Zealand |
| Wellington · Wellington | 0.49 m | 216 km | New Zealand |
| Owenga, Chatham Island | 0.22 m | 868 km | New Zealand |
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.