The Great Peruvian Earthquake hit the coastal town of Chimbote, Peru on May 31, 1970 — measuring a 7.9 magnitude on the Richter scale. The epicenter of the quake was 15 miles away from the city, in the Pacific Ocean, yet the disaster claimed the lives of some 70,000 people and left more than 800,000 homeless. Landslides, with debris traveling at speeds of up to 200 mph down the sides of the Navado Huascaran mountain, destroyed whole villages. Tremors could be felt in Lima — some 400 miles away.