May 12, 1664 Earthquake: Ica, Pisco, Peru
A magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck Ica, Pisco, Peru on May 12, 1664 at 09:15 UTC, 15 km below the surface. It killed 400 people.
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 12, 1664
- Time
- 09:15 UTC
- Place
- Ica, Pisco, Peru
- Magnitude
- 7.3
- Focal depth
- 15 km (9 mi)
- Intensity
- 10 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- Yes: the tsunami it caused
- Epicenter
- 14.100° S, 75.800° W
- Country
- Peru
The toll
- Deaths
- 400
- Damage
- Severe (about $5 to $25 million)
- Houses destroyed
- Many (101 to 1,000)
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.
Earthquake in Ica. The city was destroyed; forty-five people died. The harbor of Pisco suffered great damage. We are indebted to Licentiate Cristobal Rodriguez Alvarez, rector of the parish Church of San Geronimo, for the report of this earthquake; he wrote: "This day in the city of Ic there was an earthquake so great, so violent in force [...] The river ran in more than six streams of water; some wells in the city overflowed, uprooting many very large trees, willows and hawthorns. There followed about sixty tremors. The devastation extended to Pisco, where about sixty were drowned and others crushed by the fallings walls" (Ordiozola, 1863). (reference #1111)
In Ica between 0400 and 0500 Houses a earthquake of intensity about XI degree Mercalli scale was felt . Almost total destruction of buildings, churches and other constructions. Fissures opened in many places and the duration of the vibration was more than 15 minutes . The same day more than 30 earthquake occured. Only 200 people survived . In Pisco about 70 persons were killed and the sea waves invaded past of the city. (reference #1102)
Reference #1211 lists over 400 deaths.
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- October 20, 1687, Lima, Peru
- August 15, 2007, Ica, Pisco, Lima, Peru
- December 18, 1594, Ica, Peru
- March 30, 1813, Ica, Peru
- August 24, 1942, Ica, Nazca, Peru
- November 12, 1996, Chincha Alta, Acari, Nazca, Marcona, Peru
- May 7, 1647, Peru
- June 22, 1981, Central, Peru
- April 18, 1981, Ayacucho, Peru
- November 12, 1980, S Central, Peru
- December 10, 1950, Ica,chimbote,huaraz,cajamarca,cuzco,moquegua, Peru
- May 28, 1948, Canete, Peru
- March 28, 1982, Coast, Lunahuana, Lima, Huancayo, Peru
- October 28, 2011, San Vicente DE Canete, Peru
- June 23, 2021, Mala, Canete, Peru
More
Significant earthquakes of 1664The 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 1028.