Historical tsunamis · Dec 12, 1953, 5:31 PM UTC

1953 N. Peru tsunami

Peru

The tsunami of Dec 12, 1953, 5:31 PM UTC originated near N. Peru (Peru).

Key facts

Date
Dec 12, 1953, 5:31 PM UTC
Cause
Earthquake
Magnitude
M7.4
Depth
30 km
Maximum documented water height
1.00 m
Deaths
6
Injuries
20
Houses destroyed
200
Damage
moderate (about US$ 1–5 million)
Observation records
2
Countries affected
2

It was triggered by a magnitude 7.4 earthquake at a depth of 30 km.

The highest documented water height was 1.00 m (Talara, Peru).

2 observation sites in 2 countries are recorded.

Outside the source country, the earliest documented arrival was at La Libertad (Ecuador) after 0:06 h.

The database records 6 deaths.

Houses destroyed: 200.

Damage is estimated at moderate (about US$ 1–5 million).

All tsunamis in PeruRecord at NOAA/NCEI ↗

Map of observation sites

2

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) · Dec 12, 1953, 5:31 PM UTC
  2. 0:06 hEcuador · La Libertad · 0.20 m

1 places with a documented arrival time

Observations by country

CountryObservation recordsMaximum documented water heightDeathsEarliest arrival
Peru11.00 m
Talara		——
Ecuador10.20 m
La Libertad		—0:06 h

Highest documented water heights

2 / 2

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
Talara · Piura1.00 m151 kmPeru
La Libertad · Santa Elena0.20 m135 kmEcuador

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.