Human consequences
About 2 million people left homeless in Chile.
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EarthquakeValdivia earthquake
2,000Deaths
2MDisplaced / homeless
$550MEstimated cost
- Estimates of 1,655 to 6,000 deaths, including about 60 in Hawaii and 140 in Japan killed by the tsunami.
- Between 400 and 800 million dollars at the time.
Magnitude 9.5: the most powerful earthquake ever recorded. It triggers a tsunami that crosses the entire Pacific to Hawaii, Japan and the Philippines.
Consequences
Environmental consequences
Coastal subsidence creates new wetlands; the Cordón Caulle erupts two days later.
Economic consequences
Much of southern Chile’s infrastructure is destroyed.
Political consequences
The event leads to an international tsunami warning system for the Pacific, set up in 1965.
Tsunami waves
- Hilo, Hawaii · ≈ 15 h, 61 deaths
- Japan (Sanriku) · ≈ 22 h, 142 deaths
Further reading
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