Earthquakes in Paola
Costa Calabra nord-occidentale (Cosenza)
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 = 0.216 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Paola plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Paola
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Paola over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 1980V-VI20 February 1980
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Cosentino earthquake (M4.4), epicentre 14 km away
- 1928V-VI7 March 1928
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Calabria centro-meridionale earthquake (M5.9), epicentre 77 km away
- 1913VII28 June 1913
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Calabria settentrionale earthquake (M5.6), epicentre 23 km away
- 1908V-VI28 December 1908
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Stretto di Messina earthquake (M7.1), epicentre 140 km away
- 1905VII8 September 1905
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Calabria centrale earthquake (M7.0), epicentre 63 km away
- 1887VII3 December 1887
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Calabria settentrionale earthquake (M5.5), epicentre 25 km away
- 1854VI12 February 1854
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Cosentino earthquake (M6.3), epicentre 24 km away
- 1835VI12 October 1835
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Cosentino earthquake (M5.9), epicentre 20 km away
- 1783VII-VIII28 March 1783
Ruinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
Calabria centrale earthquake (M7.0), epicentre 74 km away
- 1783VI7 February 1783
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Calabria centrale earthquake (M6.7), epicentre 89 km away
- 1783VI5 February 1783
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Calabria meridionale earthquake (M7.1), epicentre 120 km away
- 1638VII-VIII27 March 1638
Ruinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
Calabria centrale earthquake (M7.1), epicentre 41 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 13 km from Crati Valley, 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
60 eventsEarthquakes in the area
Nearby towns
How does it compare with the surroundings?
Paola 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 Cosenza41 events · 30gCalabria region94 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in Paola?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Paola area: the latest nearby dates back to 11 days ago.
Is Paola a seismic area?
Paola 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 Paola?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Paola was magnitude 6.1, in 2026.
When was the last quake near Paola?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Paola was 10 days ago.
Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.
Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)