Massive waves, as high as 13 feet, hit Northern Peru’s coastline. The tsunami-like waves affected local communities and forced 75% of Peru’s ports to shut down. Dozens of fishing boats were damaged and a travel advisory was issued for tourists. Scroll on to learn more about this.
Peru Hit By Tsunami-Like Waves

More than 13-foot-high waves crashed on the shores of Lobitos, Mancora, and Cabo Blanco in Peru. Because of this extreme condition and to prevent risk to human life, 91 of the country’s 121 ports were shut down until January 1, 2025. Many beaches along central and northern Peru were also closed.
Callao, home to Peru’s largest port, has closed several beaches. The authorities have also barred tourists and fishing boats from entering the sea right now. Several homes in Northern Peru have also been reportedly flooded because of the weather conditions. In addition to Peru, the coastlines of Ecuador and Chile were also affected by these tsunami-like waves. According to the Times of India, three deaths have been reported in these countries so far because of this extreme weather.
Back to these waves…..
According to the National Emergency Operations Centre (COEN) in Peru, they have been classed as abnormal waves and are expected to continue until January 1. SENAPRED in Chile have said the same.
NO MENTION OF TSUNAMI as many “people” are now reporting. pic.twitter.com/A4s2bVwpmX
— Volcaholic 🌋 (@volcaholic1) December 30, 2024
Interestingly, this weather phenomenon coincides with the 20th anniversary of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami that struck India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Indonesia.
Also Read: What Caused The Catastrophic Jeju Air Plane Crash That Killed 179 People In South Korea?
Environmental Emergency Declared In The Country
🚨🇵🇪#BREAKING | NEWS ⚠️
Massive tsunami wave wreaks havoc in northern Peru and has destroyed a lot of the coastlineDestroying ships in boats and injured multiple people they are in the process of trying to clean up after the disaster. pic.twitter.com/BKRnmanrJq
— Todd Paron🇺🇸🇬🇷🎧👽 (@tparon) December 29, 2024
According to The Independent, this tsunami-like condition in Peru occurred a day after the country declared an environmental emergency. This was because of a shipment from a state oil firm that spilt 10,000 square meters of crude oil into the sea on December 21. The crude spilled at a terminal in the Talara refinery, near Lobitos.
December 27, 2024, tsunami struck El Ñuro in the Piura region of Peru
⚠️ Severe damage along the northern coast. The waves, described as powerful tidal waves or maretazos, destroyed dozens of fishing boats, with some being sunk and others pushed onto shore.#piura #peru… https://t.co/PDHVEvUZPw pic.twitter.com/8de043vXqv
— Culture War (@CultureWar2020) December 30, 2024
According to the chief of Hydrography and Navigation for Peru’s Navy, Enrique Varea, the forceful tsunami-like conditions have shut down most of the ports in Peru. The navy has so far rescued 31 fishermen stranded in the sea. They are planning rescue operations to save 180 more such people stuck in the sea.
We hope that this dangerous situation calms down soon.
Cover Image Courtesy: X/@theinformant_x
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