Valdivia 1960: The Most Powerful Earthquake Ever Recorded | Documentary Film

On May 22, 1960, southern Chile was hit by the most powerful earthquake ever instrumentally recorded. The Valdivia earthquake reached magnitude 9.5. In minutes, the ground tore across hundreds of kilometers, cities collapsed, roads split apart, and entire communities were cut off from the outside world. But the earthquake was only the beginning. The seabed shifted. The Pacific Ocean rose with it. A tsunami struck Chile’s coast, then crossed the ocean toward Hawaii, Japan, the Philippines, and the west coast of North America. What began beneath Chile became a disaster for the entire Pacific. This is the story of Valdivia 1960: the six minutes that broke southern Chile, the wave that crossed an ocean, and the earthquake that changed how the world understands megathrust disasters. From the ruined streets of Valdivia to the distant coastlines hit days later, this documentary reconstructs the largest earthquake ever recorded — and the chain of destruction it unleashed. Subscribe for more true stories from history’s greatest disasters, earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, lost cities, and catastrophes.