WhereIsAtlas · Natural disaster
Flores Earthquake & Tsunami (1992)
The magnitude-7.8 quake and tsunami that killed about 2,500 on the island of Flores
Concluded — A magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck off the island of Flores in eastern Indonesia on 12 December 1992, triggering a tsunami that killed around 2,500 people.
On 12 December 1992, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck off the coast of the island of Flores in eastern Indonesia, in the province of East Nusa Tenggara. The quake occurred offshore and generated a powerful tsunami that swept onto the nearby coasts, with waves reported to have reached several meters.
The disaster killed around 2,500 people and devastated coastal communities, including the town of Maumere and surrounding villages. It was one of the deadliest earthquakes and tsunamis in Indonesia's history in the period before the massive 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, and it stands as a vivid reminder of the seismic and tsunami risk faced by the islands of the Indonesian archipelago, which sit along some of the most active fault lines on Earth.
Quick facts
- Date
- December 12, 1992
- Magnitude
- 7.8
- Location
- Off Flores island, East Nusa Tenggara
- Killer
- Earthquake + tsunami
- Deaths
- ~2,500
- Hardest hit
- Maumere and surrounding coastal villages
Sources
- 1992 Flores earthquake and tsunami - Wikipedia — Wikipedia (2026-09-04)
- Flores earthquake tsunami - USGS reporting — https://www.usgs.gov/
Related: indian ocean tsunami 2004 · moro gulf earthquake 1976