September 21, 1780 Earthquake: Montenegro, Balkans NW
An earthquake struck Montenegro, Balkans NW on September 21, 1780. It caused a tsunami.
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
- September 21, 1780
- Place
- Montenegro, Balkans NW
- Intensity
- 10 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- Yes: the tsunami it caused
- Epicenter
- 42.400° N, 18.800° E
- Country
- Montenegro
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.
1780 Sept 21, 02:15pm, Ragusa [currently Dubrovnik]. Three violent shocks. The first two succeeded each other almost without any interval, and lasted 60 seconds. Direction E to W. (reference #496, #1879)
However, the earthquake (VII-VIII MCS) was much more violent at Kotor. Albini (2004), referring to Kisˇpatic´ (1891–1895), writes ‘within the Bocche di Cattaro, the sea retreated from the coast and then violently went back’. (reference #9531)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- April 6, 1667, Ragusa, Dubrovnik, Croatia, Balkans NW
- April 15, 1979, Montenegro, Balkans NW
- June 1, 1905, Shkoder, Albania
- November 26, 2019, Durres, Thumane, Tirana, Albania
- August 27, 1942, Peshkopia, Magellare, Albania
- November 30, 1967, Albania
- March 18, 1962, Albania
- January 7, 1962, Croatia, Balkans NW
- September 1, 1959, Albania
- November 3, 1968, Montenegro, Balkans NW
- April 22, 2022, Mostar, Stolac, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Balkans NW, Bosnia and Herzegovina
- May 13, 1984, Dubrovnik, Ljubinje, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina
- January 11, 1962, Croatia, Balkans NW
- January 13, 2024, Lushnje, Albania
- November 16, 1982, Bier, Berat, Lushnje, Albania, Balkans NW, North Macedonia
More
Significant earthquakes of 1780The 1700sRecent 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 1443.