Historical tsunamis · May 31, 1970, 8:23 PM UTC

1970 N. Peru tsunami

Peru

The tsunami of May 31, 1970, 8:23 PM UTC originated near N. Peru (Peru).

Key facts

Date
May 31, 1970, 8:23 PM UTC
Cause
Earthquake
Magnitude
M7.9
Depth
43 km
Maximum documented water height
0.46 m
Deaths
66,794
Injuries
50,000
Houses destroyed
many (about 101–1,000)
Damage
US$ 530 million
Observation records
15
Countries affected
2

It was triggered by a magnitude 7.9 earthquake at a depth of 43 km.

The highest documented water height was 0.46 m (Chimbote, Peru).

15 observation sites in 2 countries are recorded.

Outside the source country, the earliest documented arrival was at Hanasaki (Japan) after 20:22 h.

The database records 66,794 deaths.

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

Damage is estimated at US$ 530 million.

All tsunamis in PeruRecord at NOAA/NCEI ↗

Map of observation sites

15

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) · May 31, 1970, 8:23 PM UTC
  2. 20:22 hJapan · Hanasaki · 0.06 m

7 places with a documented arrival time

Observations by country

CountryObservation recordsMaximum documented water heightDeathsEarliest arrival
Peru20.46 m
Chimbote		——
Japan130.07 m
Ayukawa		—20:22 h

Highest documented water heights

15 / 15

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
Chimbote · Ancash0.46 m24 kmPeru
Callao la Punta · Callao0.15 m364 kmPeru
Ayukawa · Miyagi0.07 m14,866 kmJapan
Tosa-Shimizu · Kochi0.07 m15,843 kmJapan
Hanasaki · Hokkaido0.06 m14,301 kmJapan
Tokachiko · Hokkaido0.06 m14,514 kmJapan
Aburatsu · Miyazaki0.05 m16,036 kmJapan
Hiroo · Hokkaido0.05 m14,516 kmJapan
Murotomisaki · Kochi0.05 m15,718 kmJapan
Kushimoto · Wakayama0.04 m15,577 kmJapan
Mera · Chiba0.04 m15,173 kmJapan
Omaezaki · Shizuoka0.04 m15,319 kmJapan
Enoshima · Kanagawa0.03 m15,181 kmJapan
Onahama · Fukushima0.03 m14,984 kmJapan
Hachinohe · Aomori0.02 m14,742 kmJapan

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.