March 3, 1985 Tsunami: Central Chile

Name: March 3, 1985 Tsunami: Central Chile
Start: 1985-03-03
Location: Central Chile

March 3, 1985 · 3.5 m · 180 deaths · $1.5 billion · Definite tsunami

A tsunami caused by a magnitude 8 earthquake began at Central Chile on March 3, 1985 at 22:47:09 UTC. The water rose as high as 3.5 meters. Its effects were recorded at 64 places in at least 7 countries. It killed 180 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: March 3, 1985, 22:47:09 UTC
Source: Central Chile
Cause: Earthquake
Earthquake: Magnitude 8, 33 km deep
Maximum water height: 3.5 m (11.5 ft)
Runups recorded: 64
Tsunami magnitude (Iida): 1.6
Waters: Ocean
How certain: Definite tsunami
Source location: 33.132° S, 71.708° W

The toll

Deaths: 180 with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
Injuries: 2,575 with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
Damage: $1.5 billion with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
Houses destroyed: Very many (over 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.

An earthquake generated a tsunami that was reported at Quintay as four rises and falls observed during the first two to three hours. The third and fourth waves inundated 15 m of the coast over the high tide line and 10-15 m below the low tide line. At Algarrobo there were also four rises and falls, as well as at El Quisco. In all cases the last wave was the highest. At San Antonio The Department of Commerce reported a $3 million dollar loss resulting in the destruction of 4-7 berths causing a drop in production of copper. This may have been due to the earthquake or tsunami. (reference #1315)

No reports of damage were received from any stations, including Valparaiso as a result of the tsunami. (reference #2105)

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
Quintay	Chile	7	2	15	Runup height, post-tsunami survey
Costa Azul	Chile	12	3	50	Runup height, post-tsunami survey
Valparaiso	Chile	14	1.15		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)	day 3, 22:50
Algarrobo	Chile	26	1.5	70	Eyewitness observation of water height
El Quisco	Chile	29			Eyewitness observation of water height
Cartagena	Chile	45	2.5	24	Eyewitness observation of water height
San Antonio	Chile	52	3.5		Runup height, post-tsunami survey
Matanzas	Chile	93	3		Eyewitness observation of water height
Coquimbo	Chile	355	0.55		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)	day 3, 23:35
Talcahuano	Chile	414	3		Eyewitness observation of water height
Talcahuano	Chile	415	1.82		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)	day 4, 00:04
Caldera	Chile	678	0.2		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)	day 3, 23:50
Antofagasta	Chile	1,059	0.18		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)	day 4, 00:12
Iquique	Chile	1,441	0.23		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)	day 4, 00:54
Arica	Chile	1,630	0.5		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)	day 4, 01:24
Guayaquil	Ecuador	3,531	0.2		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)	day 4, 00:45
Rikitea, Mangareva Island	French Polynesia	6,222	0.1		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Papeete, Tahiti	French Polynesia	7,859	0.1		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Pu'Uloa, Hawaii, HI, HI	United States	10,574	0.1		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)	day 4, 14:37
Hilo, Hawaii, HI, HI	United States	10,597	0.24		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)	day 4, 12:42
Honuapo, Hawaii, HI, HI	United States	10,601	0.1		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)	day 4, 13:33
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, HI, HI	United States	10,673	0.1		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)	day 4, 13:46
Mahukona, Hawaii, HI, HI	United States	10,699	0.1		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Kahului, Maui, HI, HI	United States	10,791	0.19		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Honolulu, Oahu, HI, HI	United States	10,938	0.1		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)	day 4, 14:16
Yakutat, AK, AK	United States	12,008			Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Seward, AK, AK	United States	12,505	0.03		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Kodiak, AK, AK doubtful	United States	12,544	0.03		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Sand Point, AK, AK	United States	12,889	0.08		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Adak, Sweeper Cove, AK, AK	United States	13,806	0.05		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Petropavlovsk, Kamchatka	Russia	15,481	0.02		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)	day 4, 21:10
Nemuroko	Japan	16,599	0.15			day 4, 21:46
Hanasaki	Japan	16,601	0.16		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Kushiro	Japan	16,702	0.12		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Chichijima Island	Japan	16,707	0.16		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Tokachiko	Japan	16,796	0.15		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Hiroo	Japan	16,797	0.13		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Urakawa	Japan	16,844	0.09		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Tomakomainishiko	Japan	16,930	0.13		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Miyako	Japan	16,935	0.09		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)	day 3, 21:26
Ofunato	Japan	16,959	0.07		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Hachinohe	Japan	16,966	0.14		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Ayukawa	Japan	16,983	0.12		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Muroran	Japan	16,989	0.08		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Mori	Japan	17,022	0.06		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Choshi	Japan	17,032	0.06		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Onahama	Japan	17,035	0.13		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Yaene, Hachijo Island	Japan	17,101	0.18		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Mera	Japan	17,119	0.11		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Tokyo Harumi	Japan	17,131	0.06		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Uchiura	Japan	17,206	0.1		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Shimizu	Japan	17,239	0.07		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Omaezaki	Japan	17,263	0.13		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Maisaka	Japan	17,319	0.04		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Nagoya	Japan	17,389	0.08		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Toba	Japan	17,390	0.06		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Owase	Japan	17,443	0.12		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Uragami	Japan	17,464	0.09		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Kushimoto	Japan	17,474	0.19		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Wakayama	Japan	17,540	0.1		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Uwajima	Japan	17,770	0.04		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Makurazaki	Japan	17,946	0.17		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Naha	Japan	18,003	0.08		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Hong Kong	China	18,671	0.1

Every tsunami in 1985 The 1900s Tsunamis of Chile 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 2158.