January 27, 1869 Tsunami: Central Chile
A tsunami caused by an earthquake began at Central Chile on January 27, 1869. 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 27, 1869
- Source
- Central Chile
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- The earthquake
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Questionable tsunami
- Source location
- 36.600° S, 73.000° 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.
January 27, 1869, 0:20 [local time], possible validity. A subterranean shock occurred at Santiago. A rather strong, brief earthquake at Valparaiso. The sea retreated from shore at Tome, and then swept back. (reference #415)
January 27, 1869, 36.6 S, 72.9 W, runup height 0.7 m, validity 3. (reference #552)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tome | Chile | 5 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1869The 1800sTsunamis of ChileThe 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 995.