1590 Tsunami: S. Peru
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7.7 earthquake began at S. Peru in 1590. 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
The tsunami
- Date
- 1590
- Source
- S. Peru
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- Magnitude 7.7
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Tsunami intensity (Soloviev-Imamura)
- 1.5
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Questionable tsunami
- Source location
- 17.200° S, 72.900° W
The toll
- Deaths
- Few (about 1 to 50) with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
- Damage
- Moderate (about $1 to $5 million)
- Houses destroyed
- Some (about 51 to 100)
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. Strong tremor in Cuzco and elsewhere on the south coast of Peru followed by a tsunami. The village of Camana was destroyed due to the invasion of the sea and damming of the river. (reference #1111)
Every runup
Nearest the source first. Heights are above sea level at the time; a tide gauge reads half the wave’s full height.
| Where | Country | Km from source | Water height, m | Inland, m | Measured by | First wave, UTC | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Camana | Peru | 67 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1590The 1500sTsunamis of PeruThe earthquakeAlerts 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 198.