July 8, 1730 Tsunami: Central Chile

At 04:45 [local time] on July 8, 1730, the Valparaiso area was struck by a shock so severe that people found it difficult to remain standing. A destructive tsunami, which enveloped the coast for a distance of over 1000 km, occurred almost simultaneously. For the first time in its history, the port of Valparaiso was flooded and considerably damaged. In the lower area of Almendral, all houses, fortifications and warehouses were destroyed by the flood. In Concepcion, the sea receded a great distance, only to "swell" and advance so quickly that it swept everything in its path, inundating the fields and town. Only two or three persons perished, since the inhabitants, on first noting the receding sea, ran for the hills from where they watched the destruction of their houses and their property. In Valdivia, the river was backed up by the ocean flow. In Coquimbo, the tsunami destroyed several ranches on the shore. In Callao and environs on the 8th of July, it was noted that the sea level slowly rose. The waves reached the northeastern coast of the island of Honshu. In the prefecture of Miyagi on the Djika Peninula, on July 9, houses and rice fields were flooded.

(reference #415)

The tsunami was reported on the South American coast between Callao and Valdivia, inundating cities of Valparaiso and Concepcion. From north to south,in some form, inundated the coastline of La Serena, reaching 6km by the river Aconcagua, in Pucauquen the sea came in and drained a lagoon, inundated Concepcion, covered the river mouth of the Imperial river, and lastly inundated through the river the city of Valdivia causing damages. (p. 683) (reference #11800)