Earthquakes in Santo Stefano al 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 = 0.153 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Santo Stefano al Mare plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Santo Stefano al Mare
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Santo Stefano al Mare over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 2001II-III25 February 2001
Light: felt by few people, like a passing truck.
Mar Ligure earthquake (M4.4), epicentre 54 km away
- 1993NF17 July 1993
Imperceptible: only instruments record it.
Liguria occidentale earthquake (M4.3), epicentre 48 km away
- 1989III-IV26 December 1989
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Mar Ligure earthquake (M4.5), epicentre 47 km away
- 1981III-IV22 April 1981
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Mar Ligure earthquake (M4.4), epicentre 60 km away
- 1957III8 March 1957
Light: felt by few people, like a passing truck.
Liguria occidentale earthquake (M3.8), epicentre 11 km away
- 1909IV27 May 1909
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Liguria occidentale earthquake (M4.3), epicentre 16 km away
- 1900IV22 April 1900
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Liguria occidentale earthquake (M3.7), epicentre 2 km away
- 1897V12 October 1897
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Liguria occidentale earthquake (M4.3), epicentre 10 km away
- 1887VII23 February 1887
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Liguria occidentale earthquake (M6.3), epicentre 9 km away
- 1854VI29 December 1854
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Liguria occidentale earthquake (M5.7), epicentre 52 km away
- 1831VII26 May 1831
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Liguria occidentale earthquake (M5.6), epicentre 4 km away
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 7 km from Imperia Promontory, 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?
Santo Stefano al Mare records more quakes than the average of its province.
Each quake is attributed to the town closest to its epicentre: the numbers describe the area, not the municipal territory alone.
Context
Province of Imperia5 events · 30gLiguria region13 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in Santo Stefano al Mare?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Santo Stefano al Mare area: the latest nearby dates back to 6 days ago.
Is Santo Stefano al Mare a seismic area?
Santo Stefano al Mare 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 Santo Stefano al Mare?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Santo Stefano al Mare was magnitude 3.2, in 2024.
When was the last quake near Santo Stefano al Mare?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Santo Stefano al Mare was 6 days ago.
Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.
Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)