March 27, 1892 Tsunami: Northern Chile
A tsunami caused by an earthquake began at Northern Chile on March 27, 1892. 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
- March 27, 1892
- Source
- Northern Chile
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- The earthquake
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Questionable tsunami
- Source location
- 18.500° S, 70.350° W
The toll
- Damage
- Limited (under about $1 million) 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.
1892, March 29. A severe earthquake occurred at Arica this afternoon and caused great alarm among its inhabitants. It was accompanied by a heavy tidal wave. The shock was felt at both Valparaiso and Santiago. (reference #11644)
A dispatch from Valparaiso, dated the 27th inst., received by the Herald, states that a severe shock of earthquake, accompanied by a tidal wave, occurred at Arica, Peru, on that day, and caused great alarm among the inhabitants of that port. (reference #11645)
Yesterday a light earthquake was felt at quarter past 2 in the afternoon, followed by another that lasted 10 seconds. The oscillation was from north to south. In Arica, there was also a strong earthquake at 2:10pm that lasted 30 seconds. Many walls fell. The sea was very agitated... (reference #11646)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arica | Chile | 3 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1892The 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 5615.