Earthquakes in Cefalù
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 = 0.181 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Cefalù plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Cefalù
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Cefalù over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 2002V-VI6 September 2002
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Tirreno meridionale earthquake (M5.9), epicentre 51 km away
- 1993V-VI26 June 1993
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Monti Madonie ? earthquake (M4.9), epicentre 13 km away · observed at Sant'Ambrogio
- 1993V26 June 1993
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Monti Madonie ? earthquake (M4.9), epicentre 13 km away
- 1993V26 June 1993
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Monti Madonie ? earthquake (M4.9), epicentre 13 km away · observed at Gibilmanna [santuario]
- 1978IV-V26 August 1978
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Tirreno meridionale earthquake (M4.3), epicentre 17 km away
- 1968VI15 January 1968
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Valle del Belice earthquake (M6.4), epicentre 96 km away
- 1940V-VI15 January 1940
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Tirreno meridionale earthquake (M5.3), epicentre 53 km away
- 1908V28 December 1908
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Stretto di Messina earthquake (M7.1), epicentre 146 km away
- 1823VII5 March 1823
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Sicilia settentrionale earthquake (M5.8), epicentre 35 km away
- 1819VII24 February 1819
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Monti Madonie earthquake (M5.4), epicentre 7 km away · observed at Gibilmanna [santuario]
- 1819VI24 February 1819
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Monti Madonie earthquake (M5.4), epicentre 7 km away
- 1693V-VI11 January 1693
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Sicilia sud-orientale earthquake (M7.3), epicentre 129 km away
…and 27 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 39 km from Southern Tyrrhenian S, 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?
Cefalù 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 Palermo13 events · 30gSicily region126 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in Cefalù?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Cefalù area: the latest nearby dates back to 20 hours ago.
Is Cefalù a seismic area?
Cefalù 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 Cefalù?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Cefalù was magnitude 4.3, in 2021.
When was the last quake near Cefalù?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Cefalù was 20 hours ago.
Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.
Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)