July 23, 1898 Tsunami: Central Chile
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 6.5 earthquake began at Central Chile on July 23, 1898 at 02:17 UTC. Its effects were recorded at 1 place. It killed 6 people, counting the earthquake or eruption that caused it.
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
- July 23, 1898, 02:17 UTC
- Source
- Central Chile
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- Magnitude 6.5
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Very doubtful tsunami
- Source location
- 36.830° S, 73.030° W
The toll
- Deaths
- 6 with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
- Damage
- Moderate (about $1 to $5 million) with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
- Houses destroyed
- 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.
July 23, 1898, 22:30 [local time], 37 S, 74 W, magnitude 6.5 MS, tsunami event validity questionable. An earthquake with source in the Concepcion region was preceded by a foreshock and a subterranean rumble... The report of the Mayor of Concepcion mentions no special phenomena in the sea in the surrounding ports (Montessus de Ballore, 1912).
In contrast, Milne (1900 a) reports that in the region of
Concepcion, Talcahuano, the sea retreated and the inhabitants were terrified, fearing a tidal wave.
(reference #415)
July 23, 1898, 37 S, 74 W, magnitude 6.5, runup height 0.7 m, S. Central Chile. (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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Concepcion Bay | Chile | 14 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1898The 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 1250.