Historical tsunamis · Oct 3, 1974, 2:21 PM UTC

1974 Central Peru tsunami

Peru

The tsunami of Oct 3, 1974, 2:21 PM UTC originated near Central Peru (Peru).

Key facts

Date
Oct 3, 1974, 2:21 PM UTC
Cause
Earthquake
Magnitude
M8.1
Depth
13 km
Maximum documented water height
0.92 m
Deaths
78
Injuries
2,414
Houses destroyed
many (about 101–1,000)
Damage
US$ 10 million
Observation records
36
Countries affected
4

It was triggered by a magnitude 8.1 earthquake at a depth of 13 km.

The highest documented water height was 0.92 m (Callao la Punta, Peru).

36 observation sites in 4 countries are recorded.

Outside the source country, the earliest documented arrival was at Hiroo (Japan) after 21:04 h.

The database records 78 deaths.

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

Damage is estimated at US$ 10 million.

All tsunamis in PeruRecord at NOAA/NCEI ↗

Map of observation sites

36

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 3, 1974, 2:21 PM UTC
  2. 21:04 hJapan · Hiroo · 0.18 m

1 places with a documented arrival time

Observations by country

CountryObservation recordsMaximum documented water heightDeathsEarliest arrival
Peru20.92 m
Callao la Punta		——
United States50.37 m
Hilo, Hawaii, Hi		——
USA Territory30.30 m
Pago Pago, American Samoa		——
Japan260.18 m
Hiroo		—21:04 h

Highest documented water heights

15 / 36

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
Callao la Punta · Callao0.92 m71 kmPeru
Hilo, Hawaii, Hi · Hi0.37 m9,173 kmUnited States
Kahului, Maui, Hi · Hi0.37 m9,350 kmUnited States
Pago Pago, American Samoa · As0.30 m9,992 kmUSA Territory
Hiroo · Hokkaido0.18 m14,844 kmJapan
Tokachiko · Hokkaido0.18 m14,842 kmJapan
Hanasaki · Hokkaido0.17 m14,629 kmJapan
Amami-Oshima · Kagoshima0.15 m16,688 kmJapan
Naze · Kagoshima0.15 m16,677 kmJapan
Hachinohe · Aomori0.12 m15,067 kmJapan
Kushiro · Hokkaido0.12 m14,731 kmJapan
Tosa-Shimizu · Kochi0.12 m16,154 kmJapan
Kushimoto · Wakayama0.11 m15,885 kmJapan
Urakawa · Hokkaido0.11 m14,890 kmJapan
Aburatsu · Miyazaki0.10 m16,345 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
  • Chungar Mar 19, 1971 · 30.0 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.