1841 Tsunami: Peru
A tsunami of unknown cause began at Peru in 1841. 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
- 1841
- Source
- Peru
- Cause
- Unknown
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Very doubtful tsunami
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.
In 1841 (no date), about 2:00 [local time] at Callao, the sea withdrew from shore more strongly than during the greatest ebbs, and ships ran aground, something which had not happened for a long time. Then the sea returned
with still greater force "spreading terror everywhere." Nothing could withstand its fury. Meanwhile, not even slight underground shocks were felt and not the slightest change in temperature was apparent. [One hypothesis is that this was the Kamchatka tsunami of May 18, 1841. However, the times of the earthquake and the oscillations in sea level at Callao correlate poorly.] (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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Callao | Peru | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1841The 1800sTsunamis of PeruAlerts 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 721.