Videos of the tsunami: waves of up to four meters hit Peru, Chile and Ecuador

The phenomenon known as “tidal wave” began on Friday when waves of up to four meters hit the Peruvian coast. As the hours pass, the rough tide It spread along the coasts of the Pacific Ocean and reached Chile and Ecuador, causing the overturning of artisanal boats, the destruction of docks and tourist infrastructure.

The damage caused to ports and vessels in Peru is enormous, especially to small fishing sectors.who lost boats and nets, thus seriously complicating their activities, while this Saturday the reports from Ecuador worsened even more, reporting one death in the city of Manta.

The Oceanographic and Antarctic Institute of the Ecuadorian Navy (Inocar) indicated in a statement that in the provinces of Manabí, Guayas, Santa Elena and Galapagos The waves reached a maximum height of just over 2 meters.

In Viña del Mar and Valparaíso, the storm surges affected coastal infrastructure and paralyzed tourist activities in Chile. The National Emergency Office of the Ministry of the Interior (ONEMI) issued alerts and recommended avoiding entry to the beaches.

In Peru, the magnitude and strength of the waves, in a phenomenon defined as a “tidal wave”, was such that it forced the closure of 91 ports, out of a total of 121. As the phenomenon is still far from subsiding, the authorities indicated that this order closure will in principle be extended until January 1, 2025. The National Emergency Operations Center (COEN) in its account on Completely restrict beach activities.

Regarding beaches, The phenomenon of intense waves worries tourism operators in Peru, who fear that if it spreads and the images continue to go viral with such danger, This threatens many vacationers who end up deciding to go to other, more peaceful places.

In the town of Callao, where the main port of Peru is located, neighboring Lima, “it has been decided to close access to the Abtao, Santa Rosa, La Arenilla, Cantolao beaches and all other recreational use beaches located in the coasts of Callao,” the municipality indicated in a statement published in X.

Initially, Peru had announced the closure of 30 ports starting Friday and until next Wednesday. But the situation escalated in severity, 91 ports were closed and waves of up to 4 meters were measured, which hit coves and destroyed boats in the regions of Tumbes and Piura, in the north of the country.

Climate change “originates this type of anomalous waves” Larry Linch, Civil Defense manager of the Municipality of Callao, told AFP, who pointed out that the strong winds pushed towards the Peruvian coast have caused a greater increase in the tide in the area.

According to the Ecuadorian Inocar, this natural event that shows “larger than average” waves is due to a phenomenon known as “Mar de Fondo” which is characterized by the presence of long-period and continuous waves, generated by distant storms that travel along the Pacific Ocean until reaching our coast.

The phenomenon has caused damage to dozens of artisanal fishing boats and businesses near the sea, as well as the flight of riverside residents due to the flooding of seawalls and squares, according to images spread in Peruvian media and social networks.