May 16, 1611 Earthquake: Greece
A magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck Greece on May 16, 1611 at 09:00 UTC.
Map
Where it struck, with the other significant earthquakes within 200 km. Circles are sized and colored by magnitude; select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Date
- May 16, 1611
- Time
- 09:00 UTC
- Place
- Greece
- Magnitude
- 6.2 (Mw)
- Intensity
- 9 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 38.834° N, 20.708° E
- Country
- Greece
The toll
- Damage
- Severe (about $5 to $25 million)
Where the literature gives no number, NCEI records a description on a scale of 1 to 4, printed here in its words. Damage is in millions of US dollars of the year of the event, not adjusted for inflation.
What the record says
NCEI’s account, from the sources it cites.
AD 1611 May 16 Lefkas Two earthquakes were felt very strongly on Lefkas, followed by 50–60 days of aftershocks. As a result many places were damaged and it is reported that many villages were totally destroyed. This series of earthquakes is reported in an extended note in the Zambelios MS. The first shock is dated to Thursday 16 May 1612. This was in fact a Saturday, although 16 May 1611 was a Thursday, which is probably the correct year, as the writer makes similar errors for the later events in his list. (reference #9116)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- July 7, 551, Schisma, Boetia, Greece
- June 426 BC, Euboea, Greece
- September 30, 1636, Cephalonia, Greece
- August 12, 1953, Lixouri-Argostoli (Kephallenia), Greece
- December 29, 1820, Zakinthos (Zante), Greece
- July 11, 1767, Kefalonia, Greece
- February 4, 1867, Cephalonia, Greece
- November 26, 1920, Tepelene, Dragoti, Peshtani, Maricaj, Albania
- August 23, 1817, Aeghion, Achaia, Greece
- February 5, 1786, Corfu (Kerkira), Greece
- February 25, 1742, Zakynthos, Greece
- August 1, 1870, Itea Delphi (Phokis), Greece
- September 30, 1870, Greece
- January 28, 1931, Korce, Albania
- May 13, 1895, Margarition-Filiates (Thesprotia), Greece
More
Significant earthquakes of 1611The 1600sRecent earthquakes near hereThis day in weather history
Sources
Significant earthquakes from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, Global Historical Hazard Database, cited as NCEI/WDS, doi:10.7289/V5PN93H7. Public domain. Read 2026-09-24. NCEI earthquake 861.