Earthquakes in Sorrento
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?
Medium-low seismicity: strong quakes are rare, but not impossible.
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 = 0.100 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Sorrento plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Sorrento
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Sorrento over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 1981V14 February 1981
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Monti di Avella earthquake (M4.9), epicentre 47 km away
- 1980VII23 November 1980
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Irpinia-Basilicata earthquake (M6.8), epicentre 80 km away
- 1930VII23 July 1930
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Irpinia earthquake (M6.7), epicentre 94 km away
- 1930V27 April 1930
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Salernitano earthquake (M5.0), epicentre 32 km away
- 1905IV-V14 March 1905
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Avellinese earthquake (M4.9), epicentre 52 km away
- 1805VII26 July 1805
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Molise earthquake (M6.7), epicentre 99 km away
- 1779VI1 October 1779
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Napoletano earthquake (M3.4), epicentre 15 km away
- 1732VII29 November 1732
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Irpinia earthquake (M6.8), epicentre 76 km away
- 1694V-VI7 October 1694
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Penisola sorrentina earthquake (M4.7), epicentre 9 km away
- 1694VII8 September 1694
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Irpinia-Basilicata earthquake (M6.7), epicentre 91 km away
- 1688VI-VII5 June 1688
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Sannio earthquake (M7.1), epicentre 76 km away
- 1456VI5 December 1456
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Appennino centro-meridionale earthquake (M7.2), epicentre 81 km away
…and 9 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 41 km from Ischia, 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?
Sorrento is among the quietest towns of its province: very few epicentres are recorded here.
Each quake is attributed to the town closest to its epicentre: the numbers describe the area, not the municipal territory alone.
Context
Province of Napoli112 events · 30gCampania region129 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in Sorrento?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Sorrento area: the latest nearby dates back to 6 months ago.
Is Sorrento a seismic area?
Sorrento is classified in seismic zone 3 by the Civil Protection. Medium-low seismicity: strong quakes are rare, but not impossible.
What was the strongest earthquake near Sorrento?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Sorrento was magnitude 5.9, in 2026.
When was the last quake near Sorrento?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Sorrento was 4 days ago.
Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.
Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)