Historic Earthquakes
Messina, Italy
1908 December 28 04:20 UTC
Magnitude 7.2
72,000 deaths.
Over 40% of the population of Messina and more than 25%
of Reggio di Calabria killed by the earthquake and tsunami,
as well as by fires in some parts of Messina.
Casualty toll is based on census data 1901-1911, some estimates are as high as 110,000.
Severe damage in large parts of Calabria and Sicily.
Felt throughout Sicily and north to Naples and Campobasso.
Also felt on Malta, in Montenegro and Albania and on the Ionian Islands.
Tsunami heights of 6-12 m (20-39 ft) observed on the coast of Sicily south of Messina
and heights of 6-10 m (20-33 ft) observed along
the coast of Calabria. Aftershocks continued into 1913.
Links:
- PBS: Rescue at Sea: People & Events: Messina Earthquake.
Image courtesy of National Information Service for Earthquake Engineering, University of California, Berkeley.
