Earthquakes in Merì
Tirreno Meridionale [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 = 0.166 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Merì plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Merì
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Merì over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 2006V27 February 2006
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Monti Peloritani earthquake (M4.4), epicentre 5 km away
- 2001III17 May 2001
Light: felt by few people, like a passing truck.
Tirreno meridionale earthquake (M5.0), epicentre 92 km away
- 1999IV-V14 February 1999
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Golfo di Patti earthquake (M4.7), epicentre 22 km away
- 1995IV-V27 August 1995
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Golfo di Patti earthquake (M4.1), epicentre 18 km away
- 1990IV-V13 December 1990
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Sicilia sud-orientale earthquake (M5.6), epicentre 96 km away
- 1978VI-VII15 April 1978
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Golfo di Patti earthquake (M6.0), epicentre 29 km away
- 1908VII28 December 1908
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Stretto di Messina earthquake (M7.1), epicentre 38 km away
- 1905VI8 September 1905
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Calabria centrale earthquake (M7.0), epicentre 97 km away
- 1894VII16 November 1894
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Calabria meridionale earthquake (M6.1), epicentre 56 km away
- 1887II3 December 1887
Very light: felt only by a few people at rest, on upper floors.
Calabria settentrionale earthquake (M5.5), epicentre 177 km away
- 1823VI5 March 1823
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Sicilia settentrionale earthquake (M5.8), epicentre 80 km away
- 1818VII20 February 1818
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Catanese earthquake (M6.3), epicentre 63 km away
…and one more documented effect 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 5 km from Milazzo-Eolie, 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?
Merì 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 Messina73 events · 30gSicily region127 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in Merì?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Merì area: the latest nearby dates back to 10 hours ago.
Is Merì a seismic area?
Merì 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 Merì?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Merì was magnitude 3.7, in 2026.
When was the last quake near Merì?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Merì was 10 hours ago.
Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.
Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)