The floods that struck the Peruvian coast in the 1570s were exacerbated by the El Niño phenomenon, leading to widespread devastation under Spanish colonial rule. These natural disasters resulted in significant loss of life, displacement of communities, and destruction of agricultural land. The events highlighted the vulnerability of colonial societies to environmental changes and underscored the challenges faced by the Spanish Empire in managing its territories.

The Peruvian coastal floods of the 1570s were recorded in Spanish colonial reports, influencing New World literature. These accounts inspired poets to explore themes of nature's power and the human experience in the face of environmental challenges, with writers like Inca Garcilaso de la Vega reflecting on the interplay between nature and cultural identity.