April 23, 1860 Tsunami: Central Peru
A tsunami caused by an earthquake began at Central Peru on April 23, 1860. 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
- April 23, 1860
- Source
- Central Peru
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- The earthquake
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Tsunami intensity (Soloviev-Imamura)
- 0
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Probable tsunami
- Source location
- 12.100° S, 77.100° W
The toll
- Damage
- Severe (about $5 to $25 million) with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
- Houses destroyed
- Some (about 51 to 100) with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
- Houses damaged
- Some (about 51 to 100) 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.
April 23, 1860. On the 21st, about 2:00 [local time] in Peru (Lima, Callao and other points) the first of a large series of shocks took place. A severe earthquake occurred on the 22nd at 13:50 [local time]. It caused great destruction at Callao, but the sea apparently remained calm [the only report possibly contradicting this is that of April 22, 1859.] On the 23rd, in the morning, about 7:00 [local time], at Lima and Callao, there was a prolonged and severe earthquake of approximately the same strength as the shock of the 22nd... At Callao, after 11:00, the sea withdrew a little from shore, then, changing direction, it barely flooded the shore. These oscillations in level caused general panic in the city. Oscillations in sea level were not observed during the numerous subsequent shocks at Callao.
1859, (possibly 1860) April 22, about 14:00 (local time). A resident of Callao Reads, who was engaged in the observation of phenomenal occurrences and kept a homemade seismometer at home, noted that during the morning of the same [perhaps the following?] day "the sea began to rise". [Most likely, the report refers to the earthquake of April 22 and 23, 1960.]
The previous is from 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 | 8 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1860The 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 900.