Earthquakes in Sciacca
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 = 0.124 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Sciacca plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Sciacca
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Sciacca over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 1968V12 February 1968
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Valle del Belice earthquake (M4.7), epicentre 37 km away
- 1968VII25 January 1968
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Valle del Belice earthquake (M5.4), epicentre 19 km away
- 1968VI16 January 1968
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Valle del Belice earthquake (M5.5), epicentre 37 km away
- 1968VII15 January 1968
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Valle del Belice earthquake (M6.4), epicentre 26 km away
- 1968V-VI15 January 1968
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Valle del Belice earthquake (M5.4), epicentre 26 km away
- 1959V23 December 1959
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Piana di Catania earthquake (M5.1), epicentre 160 km away
- 1933V-VI26 February 1933
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Sciacca earthquake (M4.3), epicentre 6 km away
- 1831V15 December 1831
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Stretto di Sicilia earthquake (M4.2), epicentre 5 km away
- 1817V-VI14 January 1817
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Stretto di Sicilia earthquake (M3.9), epicentre 5 km away
- 1740VII-VIII13 June 1740
Ruinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
Stretto di Sicilia earthquake (M4.9), epicentre 24 km away
- 1727VI-VII8 May 1727
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Stretto di Sicilia earthquake (M4.6), epicentre 5 km away
- 1578VII1578
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Stretto di Sicilia earthquake (M5.1), epicentre 5 km away
…and 16 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 3 km from Monte Magaggiaro-Pizzo Telegrafo, 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?
Sciacca 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 Agrigento1 events · 30gSicily region127 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in Sciacca?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Sciacca area: the latest nearby dates back to 1 month ago.
Is Sciacca a seismic area?
Sciacca 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 Sciacca?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Sciacca was magnitude 4.1, in 2022.
When was the last quake near Sciacca?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Sciacca was 1 month ago.
Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.
Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)