October 3, 1974 Tsunami: Central Peru

Name: October 3, 1974 Tsunami: Central Peru
Start: 1974-10-03
Location: Central Peru

October 3, 1974 · 0.92 m · 78 deaths · $10 million · Definite tsunami

A tsunami caused by a magnitude 8.1 earthquake began at Central Peru on October 3, 1974 at 14:21:29 UTC. The water rose as high as 0.92 meters. Its effects were recorded at 36 places in at least 4 countries. It killed 78 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

Tsunami warnings in force

The tsunami

Date: October 3, 1974, 14:21:29 UTC
Source: Central Peru
Cause: Earthquake
Earthquake: Magnitude 8.1, 13 km deep
Maximum water height: 0.92 m (3.0 ft)
Runups recorded: 36
Tsunami intensity (Soloviev-Imamura): 1
Tsunami magnitude (Iida): 0.8
Waters: Ocean
How certain: Definite tsunami
Source location: 12.270° S, 77.790° W

The toll

Deaths: 78 with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
Injuries: 2,414 with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
Damage: $10 million with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
Houses destroyed: Many (101 to 1,000) 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.

On October 3, 1974, a strong earthquake in Peru occurred and caused loss of human life and great devastation. Its epicenter was located near the city of Lima.

The earthquake caused a tsunami which was observed over an extensive region. Tide gauges recorded wave heights of 1.83 m in La Puntcl (Callao) and 1.2 m in San Juan. Wave heights were also recorded at other locations as follows: 0.37 m in Hilo and Kahului, Hawaii; 0.3 m in Pago Pago, Samoa; 0.15 m in Crescent City, California; 0.06 in on Midway and Wake Island. The tsunami was also recorded at Honolulu and on the Truk Islands. (reference #417)

Tsunami heights (crest-to-trough in meters) 1.83 at Callao, Peru, .37 in Hawaii, .31 in Samoa, and .15 at Crescent City, California. (reference #1053)

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	Measured by	First wave, UTC
Callao LA Punta	Peru	71	0.92	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Pucusana	Peru	112		Eyewitness observation of water height
Crescent City, CA, CA	United States	7,636	0.08	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Hilo, Hawaii, HI, HI	United States	9,173	0.37	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Kahului, Maui, HI, HI	United States	9,350	0.37	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Honolulu, Oahu, HI, HI	United States	9,502	0.1	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Nawiliwili, Kauai, HI, HI doubtful	United States	9,669	0.1	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Pago Pago, American Samoa, AS	US Territories	9,992	0.3	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Midway Islands, HI doubtful	US Territories	11,580	0.1	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Wake Island, UM	US Territories	13,124	0.06	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Hanasaki	Japan	14,629	0.17	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Kushiro	Japan	14,731	0.12	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Tokachiko	Japan	14,842	0.18	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Hiroo	Japan	14,843	0.18	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)	day 4, 11:25
Urakawa	Japan	14,890	0.11	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Hakodate	Japan	15,062	0.07	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Hachinohe	Japan	15,067	0.12	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Miyako	Japan	15,078	0.08	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Ofunato	Japan	15,128	0.04	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Enoshima	Japan	15,170	0.04	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Onahama	Japan	15,297	0.09	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Hitachiko	Japan	15,339	0.09	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Choshi	Japan	15,355	0.09	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Mera	Japan	15,480	0.06	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Minami-Izu	Japan	15,572	0.03	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Omaezaki	Japan	15,627	0.09	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Owase	Japan	15,820	0.06	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Uragami	Japan	15,871	0.07	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Kushimoto	Japan	15,885	0.11	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Murotomisaki	Japan	16,029	0.09	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Tosa-Shimizu	Japan	16,153	0.12	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Kamaegyoko	Japan	16,236	0.07	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Aburatsu	Japan	16,345	0.1	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Odomari	Japan	16,437	0.06	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Naze	Japan	16,677	0.15	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Amami-Oshima	Japan	16,688	0.15	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)

Every tsunami in 1974 The 1900s Tsunamis of Peru The earthquake This day in weather history Alerts 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 2068.