1590 Earthquake: Cusco, Camana, Peru
A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck Cusco, Camana, Peru in 1590, 40 km below the surface. It caused a tsunami.
Map
Where it struck, with the other significant earthquakes within 200 km. Circles are sized and colored by magnitude; select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Date
- 1590
- Place
- Cusco, Camana, Peru
- Magnitude
- 7.7 (Ms)
- Focal depth
- 40 km (25 mi)
- Intensity
- 7 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- Yes: the tsunami it caused
- Epicenter
- 17.200° S, 72.900° W
- Country
- Peru
The toll
- Deaths
- Few (about 1 to 50)
- Damage
- Limited (under about $1 million); Moderate (about $1 to $5 million) with its tsunami and other effects
- Houses destroyed
- Few (about 1 to 50); Some (about 51 to 100) with its tsunami and other effects
Where the literature gives no number, NCEI records a description on a scale of 1 to 4, printed here in its words. Damage is in millions of US dollars of the year of the event, not adjusted for inflation.
What the record says
NCEI’s account, from the sources it cites.
1590. A severe earthquake in Cusco affected almost the entire southern coast of Peru. Camana was destroyed as a result of flooding from the ocean and from blocked rivers. (reference #415)
1590. 17.2 S, 72.9 W, depth 40 km, magnitude 7.71 MS, intensity VII. (reference #1208)
1590. 16.2 S, 71.8 W, depth 120 km, magnitude 8.2 MS, intensity VII, deaths. (reference #1221)
1590. Camana, south Pacific to west Arequipa. (reference #1908)
1590. Peru, Camana, intensity III which corresponds to an earthquake which destroyed towns and devastated districts. (reference #1055)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- May 13, 1784, Arequipa,camana,moquegua,tambo, Peru
- July 10, 1821, Camana, Ocona, Caraveli, Peru
- June 23, 2001, Arequipa, Moquegua, Tacna, Ayacucho, Peru
- January 13, 1960, Arequipa,chuquibamba,caraveli,cotahuasi, Peru
- January 22, 1582, Socabaya,arequipa, Peru
- January 15, 1958, Arequipa, Peru
- February 16, 1979, Arequipa, Peru
- August 15, 2016, Arequipa, Peru
- April 3, 1999, Camana, Arequipa, Peru
- July 7, 2001, Arequipa, Arica, Peru
- July 18, 2017, Arequipa, Peru
- August 11, 2017, Arequipa, Peru
- July 8, 2008, Arequipa, Peru
- October 2, 1868, Lima, Arequipa, Arica, Peru
- 1513, Peru
More
Significant earthquakes of 1590The 1500sRecent earthquakes near here
Sources
Significant earthquakes from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, Global Historical Hazard Database, cited as NCEI/WDS, doi:10.7289/V5PN93H7. Public domain. Read 2026-09-24. NCEI earthquake 795.