Earthquakes in Sarno
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 = 0.163 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Sarno plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Sarno
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Sarno over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 1996IV-V3 April 1996
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Irpinia earthquake (M4.9), epicentre 72 km away
- 1991III-IV26 May 1991
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Potentino earthquake (M5.1), epicentre 102 km away
- 1990V5 May 1990
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Potentino earthquake (M5.8), epicentre 94 km away
- 1988IV8 January 1988
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Pollino earthquake (M4.7), epicentre 143 km away · observed at Lavorate
- 1984IV11 May 1984
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Monti della Meta earthquake (M5.5), epicentre 114 km away
- 1984IV7 May 1984
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Monti della Meta earthquake (M5.9), epicentre 107 km away
- 1981V-VI14 February 1981
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Monti di Avella earthquake (M4.9), epicentre 20 km away
- 1980VI23 November 1980
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Irpinia-Basilicata earthquake (M6.8), epicentre 56 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 65 km away
- 1930VI27 April 1930
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Salernitano earthquake (M5.0), epicentre 8 km away
- 1853V9 April 1853
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Irpinia earthquake (M5.6), epicentre 50 km away
- 1456VII5 December 1456
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Appennino centro-meridionale earthquake (M7.2), epicentre 55 km away
…and 5 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 37 km from Mirabella Eclano-Monteverde, 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
15 eventsEarthquakes in the area
Nearby towns
How does it compare with the surroundings?
Sarno 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 Salerno9 events · 30gCampania region129 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in Sarno?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Sarno area: the latest nearby dates back to 8 months ago.
Is Sarno a seismic area?
Sarno 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 Sarno?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Sarno was magnitude 4.0, in 2025.
When was the last quake near Sarno?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Sarno 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)