Peru Holds Nationwide Disaster Drill on 13 October

PERU · SAFETY

Sirens will sound across Peru at 8 p.m. on Tuesday 13 October as the country holds a nationwide disaster drill. Lima and Callao will practice for a major earthquake, while much of the north practices for heavy rain.

For Americans in Lima, Cusco or the Andes, the alarm is practice, not a real emergency. Indeci, Peru’s National Institute of Civil Defense, runs the drill and invites everyone in the country to take part.

What Happens When the Sirens Sound

The disaster drill starts with horns, bells, whistles and sirens announcing a simulated quake, Indeci said in its official notice. Phones may also receive a warning through SISMATE, Peru’s emergency text-alert system, which works without credit or mobile data.

Carmen Guerra, a disaster-risk specialist at Indeci, described three steps on RPP radio on Monday. First, the siren sounds for two minutes, and people move to a safe spot they have picked in advance.

Second, everyone leaves the building along a marked evacuation route. Third, people walk to an outdoor meeting point and stay there.

Indeci asks people to carry an emergency backpack during the evacuation. Participants should follow instructions from officials and volunteers until the exercise is officially declared over.

Earthquake or Heavy Rain, Region by Region

Peru is divided into 24 departments, the country’s main regions, plus Callao, the port city next to Lima. Each regional government chose the hazard that drives its drill, Indeci said.

Fourteen departments, counting Callao, chose an earthquake and the hazards that follow it, Guerra told RPP. Ten departments, including Piura, Tumbes, La Libertad, Lambayeque and Cajamarca in the north, chose heavy rain.

“Each region has chosen the hazard that recurs most and has the greatest impact,” Guerra said. In Lima and Callao, the disaster drill simulates an earthquake followed by related hazards, according to Indeci.

Along the coast, a simulated tsunami alert may be added. In that case, Indeci says people must move away from the sea to high ground or to buildings fit for vertical evacuation.

People in hillside areas exposed to landslides are told to go to safe zones and follow the authorities. In the rain scenario, people should follow evacuation routes to a safe outdoor area or meeting point.

Why Peru Practices for Disasters

Peru sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, where most of the world’s strong earthquakes happen. Its northern coast is also exposed to flooding when heavy rains hit during warm-water El Niño years.

Tuesday’s disaster drill is Peru’s third national exercise of 2026, under the slogan “Choose to Prepare!” It falls on the United Nations’ International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction.

After the second drill on 14 August, 70% of people who answered an Indeci survey had carried out their family emergency plan, Guerra told RPP. She said private companies also took their staff out of their buildings in that drill.

The government also tracks slower risks in the Andes. In August, Peruvian authorities flagged 152 glacial lakes at high risk of bursting.

What It Means for You

If you are in Peru on Tuesday evening, stay calm when the sirens sound. Follow hotel, restaurant or building staff to the meeting point and wait for the all-clear.

Use the disaster drill to find your nearest safe zone and exit, especially in a high-rise or near the beach. The Rio Times guide to staying safe in Peru covers travel advisories and emergency rules.

Peru also runs a voice message line, 119, for use during an emergency. Dial 119 and press 1 to leave a message of under one minute saying you are safe, Guerra told RPP.

Others can dial 119, press 2 and enter your number to hear it. Messages are usually deleted after seven days, she said.

The US State Department rates Peru at “Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution,” mainly because of crime and civil unrest.

What Is Not Known

Indeci’s public notice does not give the magnitude or epicenter of the simulated earthquake. It also gives no target number of participants for Tuesday’s disaster drill.

It is not clear whether phones roaming on foreign SIM cards will receive the SISMATE alert. It is also not known whether airports, trains to Machu Picchu or other tourist services will pause during the exercise.

More: Peru news in English, every day from The Rio Times.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is Peru’s national disaster drill?

It starts at 8 p.m. Lima time on Tuesday 13 October 2026. That is 9 p.m. in New York and 6 p.m. in Los Angeles.

Can tourists take part in the drill?

Yes. Indeci invites the whole population to take part, and visitors in hotels or public buildings can follow staff to the meeting point.

Is the 8 p.m. siren a real alert?

No. It marks the start of a planned exercise, not a real earthquake, tsunami or flood.

What is Peru’s 119 line?

It is a voice message service for emergencies. Callers press 1 to leave a short message saying they are safe, and others press 2 and enter the number to hear it.

Sources: Indeci: ¿Cómo participar en el III Simulacro Nacional Multipeligro del 13 de octubre? (Nota de prensa N.º 234-2026-INDECI), 9 October 2026; RPP: Tercer Simulacro Nacional Multipeligro, todo lo que debes saber para este 13 de octubre, 12 October 2026; El Comercio: Simulacro Nacional Multipeligro este 13 de octubre, conoce el horario oficial del Indeci, 12 October 2026; Radio Santa Rosa: Tercer Simulacro Nacional Multipeligro se desarrollará este martes 13 de octubre, 12 October 2026; US Department of State: Peru Travel Advisory, 16 May 2025.

This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief

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