January 27, 1878 Tsunami: Central Peru
A tsunami of unknown cause began at Central Peru on January 27, 1878. Its effects were recorded at 1 place. It killed 5 people.
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, 1878
- Source
- Central Peru
- Cause
- Unknown
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Tsunami intensity (Soloviev-Imamura)
- 1.5
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Probable tsunami
- Source location
- 12.000° S, 77.000° W
The toll
- Deaths
- 5
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.
January 27, 1878, event validity likely, tsunami intensity 1.5. The sea rushed onshore at Callao. Boats and small ships ran aground. A recurring flood tide passed 100 m inland from the breakwater of the inner harbor, carrying with it everything on the beach. Five people drowned. Enormous chunks of stone were tossed around like toys. There was no earthquake that day. (reference #415)
January 27, 1878, Callao, Peru, unknown cause. (reference #79)
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 | 17 | 100 | Eyewitness observation of water height | 5 |
More
Every tsunami in 1878The 1800sTsunamis of PeruThis 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 1091.