Dichato
Encyclopedia
Dichato is a town along the coast of Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...

, part of the municipality of Tomé
Tomé
Tomé is a port city and commune in the Biobío Region of Chile. It is bordered by Coelemu to the north, Ránquil and Florida to the east, Penco to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west...

 in the northest part of Greater Concepción
Greater Concepción
Gran Concepción is the second largest conurbation in Chile, after Greater Santiago with 1,013,856 inhabitants. According to the National Statistics Institute , the population projection for 2012 is 1,019,775 inhabitants....

. At the 2002 census it had 3,057 residents. The town was severely damaged in the 2010 Chile earthquake
2010 Chile earthquake
The 2010 Chile earthquake occurred off the coast of central Chile on Saturday, 27 February 2010, at 03:34 local time , having a magnitude of 8.8 on the moment magnitude scale, with intense shaking lasting for about three minutes. It ranks as the sixth largest earthquake ever to be recorded by a...

.

27 February 2010 earthquake

After the 8.8 magnitude quake
2010 Chile earthquake
The 2010 Chile earthquake occurred off the coast of central Chile on Saturday, 27 February 2010, at 03:34 local time , having a magnitude of 8.8 on the moment magnitude scale, with intense shaking lasting for about three minutes. It ranks as the sixth largest earthquake ever to be recorded by a...

 and tsunami, roughly 50 people are missing, and 90% of the town was destroyed.

Approximately one hour after the earthquake, teenagers lounging on the beach observed the sea roll out of the horseshoe shaped bay, and immediately ran through town to warn of an impending tsunami. This moved most of the town's population out of harm's way. Many people who had evacuated for the tsunami, returned after the fifth wave, believing it was over, and were killed by the sixth wave.

The tsunami was some 10m high. Vacation cottages were lifted off their pilings by the tsunami and smashed. Fishing boats were washed hundreds of metres inland. The tsunami at Dichato consisted of 7 waves, the sixth being the largest and most damaging.

By early afternoon of the 28th, Chilean government helicopters had started delivering relief supplies.

See also

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