Earthquakes in Melilli
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?
The most severe class: strong earthquakes are possible here and buildings follow the strictest anti-seismic rules.
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 = 0.250 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Melilli plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Melilli
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Melilli over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 1990VI16 December 1990
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Ionio meridionale earthquake (M4.4), epicentre 29 km away
- 1990VII13 December 1990
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Sicilia sud-orientale earthquake (M5.6), epicentre 27 km away
- 1990VI13 December 1990
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Sicilia sud-orientale earthquake (M5.6), epicentre 27 km away · observed at Villasmundo
- 1959V-VI23 December 1959
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Piana di Catania earthquake (M5.1), epicentre 29 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 116 km away
- 1905V-VI8 September 1905
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Calabria centrale earthquake (M7.0), epicentre 194 km away
- 1894V16 November 1894
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Calabria meridionale earthquake (M6.1), epicentre 137 km away
- 1848V-VI11 January 1848
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Golfo di Catania earthquake (M5.5), epicentre 27 km away
- 1818VI-VII1 March 1818
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Monti Iblei earthquake (M5.6), epicentre 36 km away
- 1693XI11 January 1693
Catastrophic: very few buildings remain standing; landslides and ground cracks.
Sicilia sud-orientale earthquake (M7.3), epicentre 14 km away
- 1693VIII-IX9 January 1693
Destructive: many buildings partly or fully collapse.
Sicilia sud-orientale earthquake (M6.1), epicentre 12 km away
- 1542X10 December 1542
Completely destructive: most buildings are destroyed.
Sicilia sud-orientale earthquake (M6.7), epicentre 19 km away
…and 20 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?
Melilli is about average for its province in recorded quakes.
Each quake is attributed to the town closest to its epicentre: the numbers describe the area, not the municipal territory alone.
Context
Province of Siracusa6 events · 30gSicily region118 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in Melilli?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Melilli area: the latest nearby dates back to yesterday.
Is Melilli a seismic area?
Melilli is classified in seismic zone 1 by the Civil Protection. The most severe class: strong earthquakes are possible here and buildings follow the strictest anti-seismic rules.
What was the strongest earthquake near Melilli?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Melilli was magnitude 3.3, in 2025.
When was the last quake near Melilli?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Melilli was yesterday.
Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.
Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)