Tsunamis in 1582

January 22, 1582 Tsunami: S. Peru

January 22, 1582 · Deaths: many · Very doubtful tsunami

A tsunami caused by a magnitude 8.2 earthquake began at S. Peru on January 22, 1582 at 16:30 UTC. Its effects were recorded at 1 place.

Where the waves reached

The source (white) and every runup with a place, colored by the water height recorded there. A ring is a runup NCEI marks doubtful.

  • Under 1 m
  • 1 to 3 m
  • 3 to 10 m
  • 10 to 30 m
  • 30 m and more
  • Height not recorded

Tsunami warnings in force

The tsunami

Date
January 22, 1582, 16:30 UTC
Source
S. Peru
Cause
Earthquake
Runups recorded
1
Waters
Ocean
How certain
Very doubtful tsunami
Source location
16.600° S, 71.600° W

The toll

Deaths
Many (about 101 to 1,000) with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
Injuries
Many (about 101 to 1,000) with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
Damage
Severe (about $5 to $25 million) with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
Houses destroyed
Very many (over 1,000) with the earthquake or eruption that caused it

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.

January 22, 1582, coast of Arequipa, Peru, 17 S, 72.5 W, tsunami grade I at Camana. (reference #1211)

Every runup

Nearest the source first. Heights are above sea level at the time; a tide gauge reads half the wave’s full height.

WhereCountryKm from sourceWater height, mInland, mMeasured byFirst wave, UTCDeaths
CamanaPeru119Eyewitness observation of water height

More

Every tsunami in 1582The 1500sTsunamis of PeruThe earthquakeThis day in weather historyAlerts in force

Sources

Tsunami events and runups 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 tsunami event 3681.