Earthquakes in Villabate
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 = 0.179 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Villabate plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Villabate
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Villabate over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 2004NF5 May 2004
Imperceptible: only instruments record it.
Isole Eolie earthquake (M5.4), epicentre 129 km away
- 2002V-VI6 September 2002
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Tirreno meridionale earthquake (M5.9), epicentre 39 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 54 km away
- 1940VII15 January 1940
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Tirreno meridionale earthquake (M5.3), epicentre 1 km away
- 1908IV-V28 December 1908
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Stretto di Messina earthquake (M7.1), epicentre 197 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 23 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?
Villabate is among the quietest towns of its province: very few epicentres are recorded here.
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 region127 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in Villabate?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Villabate area: the latest nearby dates back to 2 months ago.
Is Villabate a seismic area?
Villabate 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 Villabate?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Villabate was magnitude 3.2, in 2015.
When was the last quake near Villabate?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Villabate was 2 months ago.
Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.
Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)