August 17, 1906 Tsunami: Central Chile
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 8.2 earthquake began at Central Chile on August 17, 1906 at 00:40 UTC. The water rose as high as 3.5 meters. Its effects were recorded at 34 places in at least 4 countries. It killed 4,000 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
- August 17, 1906, 00:40 UTC
- Source
- Central Chile
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- Magnitude 8.2, 25 km deep
- Maximum water height
- 3.5 m (11.5 ft)
- Runups recorded
- 34
- Tsunami intensity (Soloviev-Imamura)
- 2
- Tsunami magnitude (Iida)
- 1.8
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Probable tsunami
- Source location
- 33.000° S, 72.000° W
The toll
- Deaths
- 4,000 with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
- Damage
- Limited (under about $1 million); $100 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.
1906, August 16, 20:40 [local time]. There was an extremely strong earthquake in the center of Chile, with source near Valparaiso. According to the director of the meteorological observatory at Santiago, the earthquake began suddenly without any preliminary rumble and with marked oscillations. Their amplitude gradually increased; strong oscillations lasted 1 1/2 minutes. According to other sources the earthquake lasted 4-5 minutes in the focal zone.
The earthquake generated a tsunami that was observed all around the Pacific. The tsunami caused minor damage in the Hawaiian Islands.]
(above 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Curaumilla Cape | Chile | 27 | Eyewitness observation of water height | ||||
| Valparaiso | Chile | 34 | Eyewitness observation of water height | ||||
| San Antonio | Chile | 75 | Eyewitness observation of water height | ||||
| Llico | Chile | 195 | Eyewitness observation of water height | ||||
| Putu | Chile | 248 | Eyewitness observation of water height | ||||
| Constitucion | Chile | 262 | Eyewitness observation of water height | ||||
| Coquimbo | Chile | 344 | Eyewitness observation of water height | ||||
| Buchupureo | Chile | 349 | Eyewitness observation of water height | ||||
| Tome | Chile | 411 | 1.5 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 17, 00:55 | ||
| Penco | Chile | 424 | 1.5 | Eyewitness observation of water height | day 17, 00:55 | ||
| Coronel | Chile | 458 | Eyewitness observation of water height | ||||
| Juan Fernandez Islands | Chile | 640 | Eyewitness observation of water height | ||||
| Caldera | Chile | 667 | Eyewitness observation of water height | ||||
| Taltal | Chile | 854 | Eyewitness observation of water height | ||||
| Iquique | Chile | 1,428 | Eyewitness observation of water height | ||||
| Deseado Cape doubtful | Chile | 2,225 | Eyewitness observation of water height | ||||
| Nuku Hiva Island, Marquesas Islands | French Polynesia | 7,435 | Eyewitness observation of water height | ||||
| San Diego, CA, CA | United States | 8,680 | 0.06 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 17, 14:10 | ||
| San Francisco, CA, CA | United States | 9,422 | 0.04 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 17, 15:40 | ||
| Hilo, Hawaii, HI, HI | United States | 10,567 | 1.5 | Eyewitness observation of water height | day 17, 17:22 | ||
| Kailua, Hawaii, HI, HI | United States | 10,644 | Eyewitness observation of water height | ||||
| Maalaea, Maui, HI, HI | United States | 10,758 | 3.5 | Eyewitness observation of water height | |||
| Mcgregor'S Landing, Maui, HI, HI | United States | 10,759 | Eyewitness observation of water height | ||||
| Kahului, Maui, HI, HI | United States | 10,760 | Eyewitness observation of water height | ||||
| Honolulu, Oahu, HI, HI | United States | 10,907 | 0.1 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 17, 15:45 | ||
| Port Chatham, Kenai, AK, AK | United States | 12,549 | 0.21 | Eyewitness observation of water height | day 17, 19:11 | ||
| Ayukawa | Japan | 16,952 | 0.09 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 18, 01:00 | ||
| Hakodate | Japan | 16,987 | 0.12 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Aburatsubo | Japan | 17,111 | 0.08 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Misaki | Japan | 17,120 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 18, 01:00 | |||
| Kushimoto | Japan | 17,445 | 0.17 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 18, 00:28 | ||
| Curico Province | Chile | 1 | Eyewitness observation of water height | ||||
| Maule Province | Chile | 1 | Eyewitness observation of water height | ||||
| Talca Province | Chile | 1 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1906The 1900sTsunamis 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 1339.