Damage and casualties
The official number of deaths stood at 9,571, including 6,811 in Calabria Citeriore and 2,760 in Calabria Ulteriore. The total number of dead was likely higher as these figures did not account for the many deaths that occurred in the months following the first earthquake due to injuries and deprevation. [8]
On March 27, at 22:00, the first and most destructive earthquake struck with an epicenter in the Savuto Valle or near the upper Crati River. It reached a maximum Modified Mercalli intensity level of XI (Extreme) in the heavily populated communes of Martirano, Rogliano, Santo Stefano di Rogliano, Grimaldi, Motta Santa Lucia, Marzi and Carpanzano. The earthquake destroyed much of the settlements in those towns. The town of Amantea suffered total damage, while minor damage was reported at Maratea and Reggio Calabria. According to Ettore Capecelatro, a jurist and official of the Kingdom of Naples, more than 10,000 homes were destroyed, while another 3,000 were rendered unsafe for habitation. Luca Cellesi, the bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Martirano, was injured during the collapse of his castle in the town of Pedivigliano, where he reported that the population of his diocese fell from 12,000 to 6,500 after the quake. In Aiello Calabro, 408 homes were obliterated and 655 residents were killed. At least 116 inhabitants were killed in Belsito, 234 in Grimaldi, 495 in Carpanzano, 229 in Conflenti, 173 in Malito, 532 in Motta Sta Lucia, 1,200 in Nicastro, 102 in Piane Crati, 216 in Sambiase, 451 in Scigliano Diano and 126 in Feroleto. [11] The town of Martirano was destroyed and 517 inhabitants were killed. [12]
Following the earthquake, the affected areas saw a decrease in population from migration. Many inhabitants of Motta Santa Lucia moved to Decollatura, and residents of Pedivigliano and Pittarella moved to Sila. Survivors from Scigliano and Carpanzano relocated to the Ionian coast and formed the communes of Mandatoriccio and Savelli.
The two earthquakes on March 28 occurred in the southern tip of Calabria on Palm Sunday. One of the two shocks' epicenters was near Nicastro, where 3,000 people were killed. At least 600 of the total deaths in the city resulted from the collapse of a church. Many more residents were killed in Lamezia Terme, Falerna, Feroleto Antico and Sant'Eufemia Lamezia. The quake caused a destructive tsunami in the Gulf of Saint Euphemia. [16] Damage at Sant'Eufemia Lamezia was so severe that the town was abandoned.
A second shock occurred in the Serre Calabresi, causing fissures to appear in the ground. Sulfur and flames were reported emanating from the newly formed fissures. The earthquake was particularly destructive in Rosarno and Mileto, while the town centers of Borrello, Briatico and Castelmonardo was destroyed. [16]
The June 9 nighttime earthquake registered a magnitude of 6.7 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of X. It affected the region of Sila, where six villages were destroyed. Extreme damage was reported in Catanzaro and Crotone, as well as in 13 other villages. It was preceded by two strong foreshocks in the early morning and afternoon, alerting many residents to stay outdoors. Despite the severity of damage, only 52 people were killed. [17]
Lamezia Terme, commonly called Lamezia, is an Italian city and comune of 70,452 inhabitants (2013), in the province of Catanzaro in the Calabria region.
The 1980 Irpinia earthquake took place in Italy on 23 November 1980, with a moment magnitude of 6.9 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of X (Extreme). It left at least 2,483 people dead, at least 7,700 injured, and 250,000 homeless.
The Diocese of Lamezia Terme is a Latin Church diocese of the Catholic Church in Calabria. In 1818 the ancient see of Martirano, the former Mamertum, was united to the diocese of Nicastro. The diocese was then a suffragan of the archdiocese of Reggio in Calabria. In 1986, the historic Diocese of Nicastro had its name changed. It is currently called the Diocese of Lamezia Terme, and it is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Catanzaro-Squillace. The name change reflects the incorporation of the comune of Nicastro into Lamezia Terme, an administrative change of 1968 on the part of the State of Italy.
Striking southern Italy on 8 September, the 1905 Calabria earthquake had a moment magnitude of 7.2 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of XI (Extreme). The first major earthquake of the 20th century, it severely damaged parts of Lipari, Messina Province and a large area between Cosenza and Nicotera and killed between 557 and 2,500 people.
On 5 February AD 62, an earthquake of an estimated magnitude of between 5 and 6 and a maximum intensity of IX or X on the Mercalli scale struck the towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum, severely damaging them. The earthquake may have been a precursor to the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79, which destroyed the same two towns. The contemporary philosopher and dramatist Seneca the Younger wrote an account of the earthquake in the sixth book of his Naturales quaestiones, entitled De Terrae Motu.
In May 2012, two major earthquakes struck Northern Italy, causing 27 deaths and widespread damage. The events are known in Italy as the 2012 Emilia earthquakes, because they mainly affected the Emilia region.
The 1639 Amatrice earthquake occurred on 7 October near Amatrice, in the upper valley of the river Tronto, at the time part of the Kingdom of Naples, now Italy.
The 1688 Sannio earthquake occurred in the late afternoon of June 5 in the province of Benevento of southern Italy. The moment magnitude is estimated at 7.0, with a Mercalli intensity of XI. It severely damaged numerous towns in a vast area, completely destroying Cerreto Sannita and Guardia Sanframondi. The exact number of victims is unknown, although it is estimated to total approximately 10,000. It is among the most destructive earthquakes in the history of Italy.
The 1971 Tuscania earthquake occurred on 6 February in Italy. It had an epicenter located halfway between Tuscania and Arlena di Castro, about 20 km west of Viterbo. It had a body wave magnitude of 4.6.
The 1883 Casamicciola earthquake, also known as the Ischia earthquake occurred on 28 July at 20:25 local time on the island of Ischia in the Gulf of Naples in Italy. Although the earthquake had an estimated moment magnitude of 4.2–5.5, considered moderate in size, it caused intense ground shaking that was assigned XI (Extreme) on the Modified Mercalli intensity scale. Between 2,313 and 3,100 people lost their lives. The city also suffered great property losses, with 80 percent of all homes destroyed. This earthquake was exceptionally destructive for its magnitude mainly due to its shallow focal depth.
The 1990 Carlentini earthquake occurred off the Sicilian coast, 20 km east northeast from the town of Augusta, Sicily on 13 December at 01:24 local time. The moderately-sized earthquake measuring 5.6 on the moment magnitude scale (Mw ) resulted in the deaths of 19 people and caused at least 200 injuries. It also inflicted significant damage in the region, leaving 2,500 homeless.
The 1904 Kresna earthquakes occurred on the same day of April 4 in the Kresna region, Bulgaria). The pair of earthquakes measured 6.9 and 7.2 on the surface wave magnitude scale, and were assigned the respective Modified Mercalli intensity scale ratings of X (Extreme) and XI (Extreme). More than 200 people were killed in the two earthquakes. Several villages were obliterated as a result.
On December 5, 1456, the largest earthquake to occur on the Italian Peninsula in historical times struck the Kingdom of Naples. The earthquake had an estimated moment magnitude of Mw 7.19–7.4, and was centred near the town of Pontelandolfo in the present-day Province of Benevento, southern Italy. Earning a level of XI (Extreme) on the Modified Mercalli intensity scale, the earthquake caused widespread destruction in central and southern Italy. Estimates of the death toll range greatly with up to 70,000 deaths reported. It was followed by two strong Mw 7.0 and 6.0 earthquakes to the north on December 30. The earthquake sequence is considered the largest in Italian history, and one of the most studied.
The second shock in the 1962 Irpinia earthquake sequence was the largest and most destructive in a series of earthquakes in the southern Apennines. It occurred on 21 August at 18:19 CET, measuring 6.15 and assigned a maximum intensity of IX (Violent). It was preceded by an Mw 5.68 foreshock, and followed by a 5.34 aftershock. The earthquakes resulted in nearly 20 fatalities and significant property losses.
The 1706 Abruzzo earthquake, also known as the Maiella earthquake, occurred on November 3 at 13:00 CEST. The earthquake with a possible epicenter in the Central Apennine Mountains (Maiella), Abruzzo had an estimated moment magnitude of 6.6–6.84 Mw . It was assigned a maximum Mercalli intensity of XI (Extreme), causing tremendous destruction in Valle Peligna. At least 2,400 people were killed.
The 1743 Salento earthquake affected the Apulian region of southwestern Italy on 20 February at 23:30 IST. The ~7.1 Mw earthquake had an epicenter in the Adriatic and Ionian seas, off the coast of modern-day Lecce and Brindisi provinces in Salento. It had a maximum Modified Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent), causing heavy damage in Nardò. Damage was also reported across the sea, in the Balkans. The earthquake also generated a tsunami of up to 11 meters in run-up. Between 180 and 300 people were killed in the disaster.
The 1979 Yapen earthquake occurred on September 12 at 05:17:51 UTC. It had an epicenter near the coast of Yapen Island in Irian Jaya, Indonesia. Measuring 7.5 on the moment magnitude scale and having a depth of 20 km (12 mi), it caused severe damage on the island. At least 115 were killed due to shaking and a moderate tsunami.
The 1659 Calabria earthquake devastated present-day southern Italy on 5 November. It had an estimated energy magnitude of 6.6. The towns of Filadelfia, Chiaravalle Centrale, Filogaso, Panaia, Polia Antica, San Demetrio Corone and Stefanaconi were assigned X (Extreme) on the Mercalli-Cancani-Sieberg scale. The reports of destruction corresponded with a 10 km (6.2 mi) section of the Serre Fault that did not rupture during the next major earthquakes in 1783. This meant the central portion of the Serre Fault is a probably candidate for the earthquake source. The rupture on this fault segment reduced the Coulomb stress, which was sufficient for it to remain unruptured in 1783. The 1659 earthquake affect the region between those affected by earthquakes on 7 February and 28 March 1783. It represents the first major earthquake in a seismic sequence on faults in southern Calabria, with the last major earthquake in 1908.
