Huge waves hit Chile and Peru

[The Straight Story]

Waves as high as 7m (22 ft) have hit parts of Chile and coastal areas are on alert as high winds and tidal currents sweep across parts of South America's coast.

Footage showed huge waves surging onto the streets of Antofagasta in Chile where at least one injury was reported following the dangerous weather.

In Peru, parts of the country's coastline were hit with waves as big as 5m (16 ft) and the weather caused flooded streets in the seaside city of Chimbote.

Video here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-23208492

[Liberal_in_LA]

2. whoa! watch the video folks. That's amazing.

[snappyturtle]

3. Amazing....I don't think I'd have been one photographing them! nt

[Warpy]

6. Yeah, people were out there with their kids

I think I'd have been standing back to keep my camera safe. I'd have gotten the kids out of the area.

This stuff from bad offshore storms is well known. Even on Cape Cod, the towns would leave their snowplows hooked up year round to clear the coastal roads of sand and rubble after big storms.

This is more dramatic than anything there, since the offshore islands break up the really big stuff. It's more that yes, you can have a mess just from wind driven water far offshore.

[dixiegrrrrl]

10. Quite a few Darwin award contenders standing around waiting for the waves to hit again.

Surreal.

[snappyturtle]

11. ........

[malaise]

13. Some really irresponsible folks

are parents

[Cleita]

4. Interesting, I was born in Antofagasta and my family often visited there. I have seen waves like

that during winter from storms out from sea. It is the beginning of winter there now. Sometimes the waves have been tsunami sized in the past. There are the ruins of fishing villages along the coast that testify to the violence of the ocean.

[CK_John]

5. Were there underwater quakes nearby to set waves moving?

[Cleita]

7. Sometimes it just a big storm in winter and it's influenced

by the Peru/Humboldt current.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humboldt_Current

[The Straight Story]

12. Well, ya learn something new everyday. Thanks for that info! (nt)

[KittyWampus]

8. Okay, I live by the ocean. When hurricanes/N'oreasters come and big waves hit, people do down to

beach to check them out. It is impressive.

However, us locals stand up at the top of the beach… the visiting idiots go down to the edge of the water… where a wave/surge could easily grab someone.

The footage there was amazing… and some people seemed to be taking awful chances.

[Cleita]

9. When I visited there, I remember the waves coming in several blocks into town during the

worst storms. The hotel we stayed in was built on stilts so the water could surge through. Sometimes there would be water surrounding the hotel and it seemed like we were on a ship.