Historical tsunamis · Oct 17, 1966, 9:41 PM UTC

1966 Central Peru tsunami

Peru

The tsunami of Oct 17, 1966, 9:41 PM UTC originated near Central Peru (Peru).

Key facts

Date
Oct 17, 1966, 9:41 PM UTC
Cause
Earthquake
Magnitude
M8.1
Depth
38 km
Maximum documented water height
3.00 m
Deaths
110
Injuries
3,000
Houses destroyed
many (about 101–1,000)
Damage
US$ 35 million
Observation records
60
Countries affected
8

It was triggered by a magnitude 8.1 earthquake at a depth of 38 km.

The highest documented water height was 3.00 m (Ancon, Peru).

60 observation sites in 8 countries are recorded.

Outside the source country, the earliest documented arrival was at Antofagasta (Chile) after 2:23 h.

The database records 110 deaths.

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

Damage is estimated at US$ 35 million.

All tsunamis in PeruRecord at NOAA/NCEI ↗

Map of observation sites

60

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) · Oct 17, 1966, 9:41 PM UTC
  2. 0:50 hPeru · Callao la Punta · 2.00 m
  3. 2:23 hChile · Antofagasta · 0.10 m
  4. 6:31 hMexico · Salina Cruz · 0.24 m
  5. 10:06 hUnited States · San Francisco, Ca · 0.10 m
  6. 20:18 hJapan · Kushiro · 0.10 m

28 places with a documented arrival time

Observations by country

CountryObservation recordsMaximum documented water heightDeathsEarliest arrival
Peru143.00 m
Ancon		—0:50 h
Chile60.39 m
Valparaiso		—2:23 h
Ecuador20.30 m
Galapagos Islands		——
Mexico10.24 m
Salina Cruz		—6:31 h
Japan130.21 m
Hachinohe		—20:18 h
United States190.20 m
Kahului, Maui, Hi		—10:06 h
Costa Rica10.20 m
Quepos		——
USA Territory40.10 m
Pago Pago, American Samoa		——

Highest documented water heights

15 / 60

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
Ancon · Lima3.00 m198 kmPeru
Casma · Ancash3.00 m146 kmPeru
Chiquito · La Libertad3.00 m318 kmPeru
Huacho · Lima3.00 m119 kmPeru
Huaura · Lima3.00 m119 kmPeru
Tortuga · Ancash3.00 m154 kmPeru
Trujillo · La Libertad3.00 m295 kmPeru
Callao la Punta · Callao2.00 m217 kmPeru
Chimbote · Ancash1.00 m184 kmPeru
Matarani · Arequipa0.40 m988 kmPeru
Valparaiso · Valparaiso0.39 m2,570 kmChile
San Juan · Ica0.38 m634 kmPeru
Caldera · Atacama0.30 m1,983 kmChile
Galapagos Islands · Galapagos Islands0.30 m1,631 kmEcuador
Lebu · Biobio0.30 m3,015 kmChile

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

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.