January 28, 1840 Tsunami: Central Peru
A tsunami caused by an earthquake began at Central Peru on January 28, 1840 at 08:00 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
The tsunami
- Date
- January 28, 1840, 08:00 UTC
- Source
- Central Peru
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- The earthquake, 40 km deep
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Tsunami intensity (Soloviev-Imamura)
- 0
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Very doubtful tsunami
- Source location
- 12.300° S, 77.300° W
The toll
The record gives no deaths, injuries or damage for this tsunami.
What the record says
NCEI’s account, from the sources it cites.
On January 28, 1840 at 3:00 [local time] there was a strong earthquake at Lima, also felt at Chorillos. It was accompanied by a hurricane wind, blowing from the southwest, and a downpour. The sea was so agitated at Chorillos, and the air temperature fell so greatly, that bathing stopped on the beach and the people sought shelter. (reference #415)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chorrillos | Peru | 33 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1840The 1800sTsunamis 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 722.