Earthquakes in San Vito Lo Capo
Seismic activity in the surroundings
30 km radiusINGV catalogue epicentres of the last ~11 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 = 0.061 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is San Vito Lo Capo plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of San Vito Lo Capo
The earthquakes that were actually felt in San Vito Lo Capo 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 184 km away
- 2002IV-V6 September 2002
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Tirreno meridionale earthquake (M5.9), epicentre 85 km away
- 1999III30 December 1999
Light: felt by few people, like a passing truck.
Tirreno meridionale earthquake (M4.8), epicentre 72 km away
- 1998IV21 June 1998
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Tirreno meridionale earthquake (M4.6), epicentre 35 km away
- 1998III-IV17 January 1998
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Golfo di Castellammare earthquake (M4.8), epicentre 26 km away
- 1995V29 May 1995
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Isole Egadi earthquake (M4.8), epicentre 53 km away · observed at Castelluzzo
- 1995IV29 May 1995
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Isole Egadi earthquake (M4.8), epicentre 53 km away · observed at Macari
- 1995IV29 May 1995
Moderate: felt by many indoors; glasses and dishes rattle.
Isole Egadi earthquake (M4.8), epicentre 53 km away
- 1979IV-V20 January 1979
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Tirreno meridionale earthquake (M4.9), epicentre 61 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 48 km away
- 1968V-VI15 January 1968
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Valle del Belice earthquake (M6.4), epicentre 48 km away · observed at Macari
- 1901II-III13 December 1901
Light: felt by few people, like a passing truck.
Calabria earthquake (M4.8), epicentre 305 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 14 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?
San Vito Lo Capo sits in one of the most seismically active areas of its province: quakes are a familiar presence here, almost always light.
Each quake is attributed to the town closest to its epicentre: the numbers describe the area, not the municipal territory alone.
Context
Province of Trapani3 events · 30gSicily region203 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in San Vito Lo Capo?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the San Vito Lo Capo area: the latest nearby dates back to 24 days ago.
Is San Vito Lo Capo a seismic area?
San Vito Lo Capo 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 San Vito Lo Capo?
In the last ~11 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of San Vito Lo Capo was magnitude 3.3, in 2021.
When was the last quake near San Vito Lo Capo?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of San Vito Lo Capo was 10 months ago.
Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.
Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)