Earthquakes in Pescara
Adriatico Centrale [Mare]
Seismic activity in the surroundings
30 km radiusINGV catalogue epicentres of the last ~12 years, within the given radius from the town centre.
How seismic is this area?
A zone where strong earthquakes are possible: new buildings follow strict anti-seismic criteria.
Official Civil Protection classification (upd. 2025), used for building codes.
Hazard describes the long-term expected shaking: it is not a forecast. Technical value: ag = 0.121 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Pescara plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Pescara
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Pescara over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 2016V30 October 2016
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Valnerina earthquake (M6.6), epicentre 100 km away
- 1997V26 September 1997
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Appennino umbro-marchigiano earthquake (M5.7), epicentre 125 km away
- 1984V11 May 1984
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Monti della Meta earthquake (M5.5), epicentre 96 km away
- 1984V7 May 1984
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Monti della Meta earthquake (M5.9), epicentre 90 km away
- 1980V23 November 1980
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Irpinia-Basilicata earthquake (M6.8), epicentre 201 km away
- 1950V5 September 1950
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Gran Sasso earthquake (M5.7), epicentre 64 km away
- 1943VI29 January 1943
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Monti Sibillini earthquake (M4.9), epicentre 82 km away
- 1933V26 September 1933
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Maiella earthquake (M5.9), epicentre 44 km away
- 1915V-VI13 January 1915
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Marsica earthquake (M7.1), epicentre 76 km away
- 1881VI10 September 1881
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Chietino earthquake (M5.4), epicentre 27 km away
- 1873V12 March 1873
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Appennino marchigiano earthquake (M5.8), epicentre 106 km away
- 1703VIII2 February 1703
Ruinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
Aquilano earthquake (M6.7), epicentre 77 km away
…and 25 more documented effects in this town's history.
Source: Italian Macroseismic Database DBMI15 (INGV, CC BY 4.0).
The great earthquakes in this area's history
Almost a thousand years of catalogues: the strongest documented events within ~50 km.
Source: Parametric Catalogue of Italian Earthquakes CPTI15 (INGV, CC BY 4.0).
The closest seismic structure
The town lies about 20 km from Shallow Abruzzo Citeriore Basal Thrust, one of the seismic structures mapped by INGV geologists.
Faults are mapped to build better and understand the territory: knowing them says nothing about when an earthquake will occur, which remains unpredictable. Source: DISS 3.3 (INGV, CC BY 4.0).
Area over time
Earthquake map
5 eventsEarthquakes in the area
Nearby towns
How does it compare with the surroundings?
Pescara sits in one of the most seismically active areas of its province: quakes are a familiar presence here, almost always light.
Each quake is attributed to the town closest to its epicentre: the numbers describe the area, not the municipal territory alone.
Context
Province of Pescara1 events · 30gAbruzzo region76 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in Pescara?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Pescara area: the latest nearby dates back to 21 months ago.
Is Pescara a seismic area?
Pescara is classified in seismic zone 2 by the Civil Protection. A zone where strong earthquakes are possible: new buildings follow strict anti-seismic criteria.
What was the strongest earthquake near Pescara?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Pescara was magnitude 2.6, in 2019.
When was the last quake near Pescara?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Pescara was 23 months ago.
Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.
Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)