July 30, 1995 Tsunami: Northern Chile

Name: July 30, 1995 Tsunami: Northern Chile
Start: 1995-07-30
Location: Northern Chile

July 30, 1995 · 3 m · 3 deaths · $1.8 million · 115 houses destroyed · Definite tsunami

A tsunami caused by a magnitude 8 earthquake began at Northern Chile on July 30, 1995 at 05:11:23 UTC. The water rose as high as 3 meters. Its effects were recorded at 91 places in at least 12 countries. It killed 3 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: July 30, 1995, 05:11:23 UTC
Source: Northern Chile
Cause: Earthquake
Earthquake: Magnitude 8, 46 km deep
Maximum water height: 3 m (9.8 ft)
Runups recorded: 91
Tsunami intensity (Soloviev-Imamura): 1.5
Tsunami magnitude (Iida): 1.6
Waters: Ocean
How certain: Definite tsunami
Source location: 23.340° S, 70.294° W

The toll

Deaths: 3 with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
Injuries: 58 with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
Damage: $131,000; $1.8 million with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
Houses destroyed: Many (101 to 1,000); 115 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.

The total damage from this event to fishing vessels and docks was $131,200. In Antofagasta six small fishing boats were sunk and 12 others damaged at the fishermen's wharf. The oceanographic ship Purihalar anchored in the center of Blanco Encalada Bay observed a drop sea level from 11 m to 1.5 m (a drop of 9.5-m) on their sonar as the ship was pushed toward the shore and then away by the strong currents. It generated a tsunami two hours and 45 minutes after high tide that was lower by about 30 cm than the high tide maximum. It penetrated inland 250 to 300 meters at La Riconada destroying part of a coastal road. At one point it cut across 245 meter-wide Punta Cangrejos temporarily creating an island off the point and trapping several fishermen. This event was widely recorded. (Reference #1315)

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
La Rinconada, Antofagasta	Chile	25	2.39	300	Runup height, post-tsunami survey
Antofagasta	Chile	36	1.4		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Caleta Blanco	Chile	117	2.45		Runup height, post-tsunami survey
Tocopilla	Chile	138	0.35		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Calenta Punta Grande	Chile	196	0.6		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Iquique	Chile	348	0.32		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Caldera	Chile	416	0.85		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Arica	Chile	539	0.75		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Valparaiso	Chile	1,082	0.33		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Juan Fernandez Islands	Chile	1,413	0.2		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Talcahuano	Chile	1,505	0.53		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Easter Island	Chile	3,952	0.16		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Easter Island	Chile	3,952	0.05		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Socorro Island	Mexico	6,422	0.11		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Cabo San Lucas	Mexico	6,672	0.05		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Hiva Oa Island, Tuhauku Bay	French Polynesia	7,425	1.5
Tahanka Bay, Marquesas Island	French Polynesia	7,505	3	250	Eyewitness observation of water height
Nuku Hiva Island, Marquesas Islands	French Polynesia	7,570	0.75		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
San Diego, CA, CA	United States	7,954	0.05		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Los Angeles, CA, CA	United States	8,105	0.05		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)	day 30, 18:06
Santa Monica, CA, CA	United States	8,143	0.13		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)	day 30, 17:44
Papeete, Tahiti	French Polynesia	8,197	0.05		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Port San Luis, CA, CA	United States	8,381	0.12		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)	day 30, 18:22
Raitea Island	French Polynesia	8,416	0.15
Monterey, CA, CA	United States	8,565	0.04		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Point Reyes, CA, CA	United States	8,740	0.09		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)	day 30, 18:39
Arena Cove, CA, CA	United States	8,855	0.07		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)	day 30, 18:30
Crescent City, CA, CA	United States	9,093	0.11		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Port Orford, OR, OR	United States	9,185	0.05		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)	day 30, 19:47
Victoria, British Columbia, BC	Canada	9,541	0.04		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Neah Bay, WA, WA	United States	9,605	0.03		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Bamfield, British Columbia, BC	Canada	9,669	0.06		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)	day 30, 20:21
Port Alberni, British Columbia, BC	Canada	9,680	0.13		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)	day 30, 20:49
Tofino (Clayoquot),british Columbia, BC doubtful	Canada	9,735	0.02		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Port Hardy, British Columbia, BC	Canada	9,934	0.04		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Winter Harbor, British Columbia, BC	Canada	9,949	0.07		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Hilo, Hawaii, HI, HI	United States	10,356	0.38		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Pago Pago, American Samoa, AS	US Territories	10,423	0.17		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Nukualofa (Nuku'Alofa)	Tonga	10,516	0.07		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Kahului, Maui, HI, HI	United States	10,544	0.35		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Apia, Upolu Island	Samoa	10,549	0.21		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Honolulu, Oahu, HI, HI	United States	10,694	0.08		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Sitka, AK, AK	United States	10,765	0.05		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Nawiliwili, Kauai, HI, HI	United States	10,864	0.06		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Port Allen, Kauai, HI, HI	United States	10,884	0.08		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Yakutat, AK, AK	United States	11,129	0.06		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)	day 30, 23:00
Lautoka	Fiji	11,384	0.05		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Seward, AK, AK	United States	11,648	0.05		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)	day 30, 23:05
Kodiak, AK, AK	United States	11,724	0.05		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Sand Point, AK, AK	United States	12,122	0.11		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)	day 30, 23:25
Port Vila, Efate Island	Vanuatu	12,199	0.16		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)	day 30, 22:30
Unalaska, Dutch Harbor, AK, AK	United States	12,472	0.08		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Gold Coast, Queensland	Australia	12,652	0.05		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Adak, Sweeper Cove, AK, AK	United States	13,125	0.15		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)	day 30, 23:35
Shemya Island, AK, AK	United States	13,754	0.1		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Wake Island, UM	US Territories	14,147	0.06		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Hanasaki	Japan	16,061	0.21		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Kushiro	Japan	16,163	0.13		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Hachinohe	Japan	16,488	0.29		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Miyako	Japan	16,490	0.28		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Hakodate	Japan	16,495	0.18		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Ofunato	Japan	16,534	0.13		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Kesennuma	Japan	16,553	0.15		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Ayukawa	Japan	16,582	0.17		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Onahama	Japan	16,682	0.18		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Choshi	Japan	16,725	0.15		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Chichijima Island	Japan	16,739	0.13		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Yokohama	Japan	16,840	0.04		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Mera	Japan	16,841	0.13		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Okada	Japan	16,885	0.07		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Yaene, Hachijo Island	Japan	16,897	0.07		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Uchiura	Japan	16,921	0.06		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Shimizu	Japan	16,953	0.04		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Omaezaki	Japan	16,992	0.14		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Maisaka	Japan	17,042	0.05		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Toba	Japan	17,119	0.08		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Owase	Japan	17,187	0.13		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Uragami	Japan	17,232	0.15		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Kushimoto	Japan	17,245	0.23		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Shirahama	Japan	17,273	0.11		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Wakayama	Japan	17,274	0.04		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Komatsushima	Japan	17,330	0.08		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Murotomisaki	Japan	17,394	0.1		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Kochi	Japan	17,438	0.08		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Tosa-Shimizu	Japan	17,519	0.09		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Uwajima	Japan	17,537	0.04		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Hososhima	Japan	17,646	0.09		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Aburatsu	Japan	17,699	0.13		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Makurazaki	Japan	17,811	0.11		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Naha	Japan	18,188	0.09		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Hirara	Japan	18,440	0.09		Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)

Every tsunami in 1995 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 2249.