Historical tsunamis · Aug 24, 1942, 10:50 PM UTC

1942 S. Peru tsunami

Peru

The tsunami of Aug 24, 1942, 10:50 PM UTC originated near S. Peru (Peru).

Key facts

Date
Aug 24, 1942, 10:50 PM UTC
Cause
Earthquake and landslide
Magnitude
M8.2
Depth
60 km
Maximum documented water height
2.00 m
Deaths
30
Injuries
25
Houses destroyed
many (about 101–1,000)
Damage
severe (about US$ 5–25 million)
Observation records
3
Countries affected
1

It was triggered by a magnitude 8.2 earthquake at a depth of 60 km.

The highest documented water height was 2.00 m (Lomas, Peru).

3 observation sites in 1 countries are recorded.

The database records 30 deaths.

Houses destroyed: many (about 101–1,000).

Damage is estimated at severe (about US$ 5–25 million).

All tsunamis in PeruRecord at NOAA/NCEI ↗

Map of observation sites

3

Each 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.

  1. 0:00 hEarthquake (origin) · Aug 24, 1942, 10:50 PM UTC
  2. 0:39 hPeru · Matarani · 0.50 m

2 places with a documented arrival time

Observations by country

CountryObservation recordsMaximum documented water heightDeathsEarliest arrival
Peru32.00 m
Lomas		—0:39 h

Highest documented water heights

3 / 3

Individual documented observations for this event. Heights come from different measurement types and sources; not every location has a measured height.

Location / stationObserved heightDistance from sourceCountry
Lomas · Arequipa2.00 m138 kmPeru
Callao la Punta · Callao1.60 m348 kmPeru
Matarani · Arequipa0.50 m472 kmPeru

More tsunamis in Peru

  • S. Peru Jun 28, 2024, 5:36 AM UTC · 0.20 m
  • S. Peru Jan 14, 2018, 9:18 AM UTC · 0.15 m
  • S. Peru Sep 25, 2013, 4:42 PM UTC · 0.09 m
  • S. Peru Aug 15, 2007, 11:40 PM UTC · 10.0 m
  • S. Peru Jun 23, 2001, 8:33 PM UTC · 8.80 m
  • S. Peru Nov 12, 1996, 4:59 PM UTC · 0.40 m
  • N. Peru Feb 21, 1996, 12:51 PM UTC · 5.04 m
  • Central Peru Oct 3, 1974, 2:21 PM UTC · 0.92 m

Tsunamis nearby

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.