Historical tsunamis · Nov 12, 1996, 4:59 PM UTC

1996 S. Peru tsunami

Peru

The tsunami of Nov 12, 1996, 4:59 PM UTC originated near S. Peru (Peru).

Key facts

Date
Nov 12, 1996, 4:59 PM UTC
Cause
Earthquake
Magnitude
M7.7
Depth
33 km
Maximum documented water height
0.40 m
Deaths
14
Injuries
624
Houses destroyed
4,006
Damage
extreme (over US$ 25 million)
Observation records
4
Countries affected
3

It was triggered by a magnitude 7.7 earthquake at a depth of 33 km.

The highest documented water height was 0.40 m.

4 observation sites in 3 countries are recorded.

Outside the source country, the earliest documented arrival was at Port Vila, Efate Island (Vanuatu) after 17:37 h.

The database records 14 deaths.

Houses destroyed: 4,006.

Damage is estimated at extreme (over US$ 25 million).

All tsunamis in PeruRecord at NOAA/NCEI ↗

Map of observation sites

4

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) · Nov 12, 1996, 4:59 PM UTC
  2. 17:37 hVanuatu · Port Vila, Efate Island · 0.05 m

1 places with a documented arrival time

Observations by country

CountryObservation recordsMaximum documented water heightDeathsEarliest arrival
Chile20.18 m
Arica		——
Peru10.13 m
Callao la Punta		——
Vanuatu10.05 m
Port Vila, Efate Island		—17:37 h

Highest documented water heights

4 / 4

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
Arica · Arica Y Parinacota0.18 m688 kmChile
Callao la Punta · Callao0.13 m362 kmPeru
Caldera · Atacama0.11 m1,428 kmChile
Port Vila, Efate Island0.05 m12,130 kmVanuatu

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
  • N. Peru Feb 21, 1996, 12:51 PM UTC · 5.04 m
  • Central Peru Oct 3, 1974, 2:21 PM UTC · 0.92 m
  • Chungar Mar 19, 1971 · 30.0 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.