May 7, 1647 Earthquake: Peru
An earthquake struck Peru on May 7, 1647. It killed 14 people, counting the tsunami it caused.
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
- May 7, 1647
- Place
- Peru
- Tsunami
- Yes: the tsunami it caused
- Epicenter
- 15.500° S, 75.000° W
- Country
- Peru
The toll
- Deaths
- 14 with its tsunami and other effects
- Damage
- Limited (under about $1 million); Moderate (about $1 to $5 million) 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.
1947, May 7 (date unreliable). The catalogues (Perrey, 1854 c; Montessus de Ballore, 1912) contain a detailed description of a catastrophic earthquake on May 13, 1647, in the Santiago and the neighbouring areas of Chile. One of the accounts about this earthquake dated July 12, 1648, refers to other unusual natural occurrences during that year, including the following:
In Cusco (Peru) an earthquake occurred which caused damage in the immediate shore area but not farther inland. On the day of the earthquake, the water level rose with such force at the Callao Pier that part of the breakwater was carried away.
On May 7, the vessel "St. Nikolai" which carried cargo from La-Ligua, was smashed in the port of Arica as a result of an unusually forceful rise in the sea level, yet without any evident signs of a storm; 14 persons perished and material losses exceeded 200,000 pesos (francs).
Strange and unusual movements of the sea were reported by fishermen from all ports along this entire coast. The ocean waves were sufficiently high to submerge the highest hills on shore.
(above from reference #415)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- May 12, 1664, Ica, Pisco, Peru
- June 23, 2001, Arequipa, Moquegua, Tacna, Ayacucho, Peru
- December 18, 1594, Ica, Peru
- December 2, 1914, Pararca,paysa,colta,oyala, Peru
- March 30, 1813, Ica, Peru
- August 24, 1942, Ica, Nazca, Peru
- November 12, 1996, Chincha Alta, Acari, Nazca, Marcona, Peru
- December 10, 1950, Ica,chimbote,huaraz,cajamarca,cuzco,moquegua, Peru
- January 14, 2018, Yauca, Peru
- October 28, 2011, San Vicente DE Canete, Peru
- July 18, 2017, Arequipa, Peru
- August 11, 2017, Arequipa, Peru
- January 15, 1960, Lima,nazca,ica,huancavelic,palpa,huaitara, Peru
- September 25, 2013, Arequipa, Peru
- June 28, 2024, Arequipa, Peru
More
Significant earthquakes of 1647The 1600sRecent earthquakes near hereThis day in weather history
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 5971.