Earthquakes in Viagrande
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 = 0.229 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Viagrande plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Viagrande
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Viagrande over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 2018V-VI26 December 2018
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Etna - Fleri earthquake (M5.0), epicentre 3 km away · observed at Case Novara Blandano
- 1984D25 October 1984
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Etna - Fleri (Zafferana E.) earthquake (M4.4), epicentre 4 km away · observed at Case Novara Blandano
- 1983VI20 July 1983
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Etna - Viagrande earthquake (M4.3), epicentre 1 km away · observed at Sciarelle
- 1983VI20 July 1983
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Etna - Viagrande earthquake (M4.3), epicentre 1 km away
- 1983VI20 July 1983
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Etna - Viagrande earthquake (M4.3), epicentre 1 km away · observed at Madonna degli Ulivi
- 1914VI26 May 1914
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Etna - Lavinaio (Aci S. Antonio) earthquake (M3.8), epicentre 2 km away
- 1908VI-VII28 December 1908
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Stretto di Messina earthquake (M7.1), epicentre 78 km away
- 1903V-VI20 November 1903
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Etna - Viagrande earthquake (M3.5), epicentre 3 km away
- 1894V-VI8 August 1894
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Etna - Mazzasette (Acireale) earthquake (M4.6), epicentre 3 km away
- 1848VI11 January 1848
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Golfo di Catania earthquake (M5.5), epicentre 26 km away
- 1818VIII20 February 1818
Ruinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
Catanese earthquake (M6.3), epicentre 5 km away
- 1693X-XI11 January 1693
Catastrophic: very few buildings remain standing; landslides and ground cracks.
Sicilia sud-orientale earthquake (M7.3), epicentre 54 km away
…and 110 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 sits above this source area: the deep structure where this area's earthquakes can originate.
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?
Viagrande is quieter 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 Catania23 events · 30gSicily region127 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in Viagrande?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Viagrande area: the latest nearby dates back to 5 days ago.
Is Viagrande a seismic area?
Viagrande 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 Viagrande?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Viagrande was magnitude 4.9, in 2018.
When was the last quake near Viagrande?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Viagrande was 5 days ago.
Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.
Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)