Copyright Information: All images are in the public domain and available for free. If you use this image, credit NOAA/NGDC, Pierre St. Amand. |
Tsunami damage at Ancud. Note the house that floated to a new location. In this area, water withdrew leaving the bottom completely exposed. Then 50 minutes after the earthquake, a wave of 15 m (49.5 ft) struck with great force. Whirlpools formed in Ancud harbor. The land along the coast of Chile, particularly in the port city of Puerto Montt, subsided (sank downward) as a result of the movement of the ground during the quake. The coastal city was flooded with water. Image Credit: Pierre St. Amand. May 22, 1960 Puerto Montt, Valdivia Chile earthquake and tsunami On May 22, 1960, a Mw 9.5 earthquake, the largest earthquake ever instrumentally recorded, occurred in southern Chile. The series of earthquakes that followed ravaged southern Chile and ruptured over a period of days a 1,000 km section of the fault, one of the longest ruptures ever reported. The number of fatalities associated with both the earthquake and tsunami has been estimated to be between 490 and 5,700. Reportedly there were 3,000 injured, and initially there were 717 missing in Chile. The Chilean government estimated 2,000,000 people were left homeless and 58,622 houses were completely destroyed. Damage (including tsunami damage) was more than $500 million U.S. dollars. Event Data:
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