February 15, 1953 Tsunami: Central Peru
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 5.5 earthquake began at Central Peru on February 15, 1953. The water rose as high as 0.7 meters. 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
- February 15, 1953
- Source
- Central Peru
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- Magnitude 5.5
- Maximum water height
- 0.7 m (2.3 ft)
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Tsunami magnitude (Iida)
- -0.5
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Questionable tsunami
- Source location
- 12.000° S, 77.500° 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.
February 15, 1953, 4:33 [local time]. At Lima, a strong earthquake was felt lasting a little more than 15 seconds. At Chancay, according to a report by one of the seismic correspondents, the sea receded. (reference #415)
February 15, 1953, 09:32 UTC, 12 S, 77.5 W, magnitude 5.5, maximum runup height 0.7 m. (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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chancay | Peru | 54 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1953The 1900sTsunamis of PeruThe 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 1831.