October 12, 1851 Earthquake: Vlore (Valona),berat, Turkey, Albania
A magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck Vlore (Valona),berat, Turkey, Albania on October 12, 1851 at 06:00 UTC. It killed 2,000 people.
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
- October 12, 1851
- Time
- 06:00 UTC
- Place
- Vlore (Valona),berat, Turkey, Albania
- Magnitude
- 6.6 (Ms)
- Intensity
- 11 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- Yes: the tsunami it caused
- Epicenter
- 40.500° N, 19.700° E
- Country
- Albania
The toll
- Deaths
- 2,000
- Damage
- Extreme (about $25 million or more)
- Houses destroyed
- Very many (over 1,000)
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.
October 12, 1851, 07h?, 40.5 N, 19.75 E, intensity IX-X. A sequence of disastrous shocks ruined the towns Vlore and Berat in Albania, all houses seriously damaged, some of them completely destroyed, 2000 victims, IX-X at Narta, VIII-IX at Smokthine, Velcan, Berat, Karbunare, Elbasan, Tepelene, Dragot, Peshtani, Maricaj, Vasiari, Klisyra, Turani, Dukaj, VII - Delvine, Tirane, V - Ioannina (Janina), felt in Italy at Lecce, Bari, Taranto, Barletta, Canosa, V - Cerignola and Napoli, tsunami at Vlore (Valona). (reference #1099)
October 12, 1851. Destruction partial of Vlora and Himara. On October 17, in Berati, 400 soldiers were buried under the ruins of the fort. On October 20: partial destruction of Elbasani, with counterpart in December. 2000 people killed. Intensity X. (reference #1093)
October 12, 1851, 07h, intensity X at Vlore, Kanina, and Narta. (reference #1109)
October 12, 1851, Turkey in Europe, Albania, Valona, Beratti, Elbassen, intensity II which corresponds to buildings may be unroofed or shattered and some may fall, the ground may be badly cracked in places and small landslips occur. (reference #1055)
October 12, 1851, Narta, Albania, 2000 killed. (reference #1051)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- October 17, 1851, Berat, Albania
- November 26, 1920, Tepelene, Dragoti, Peshtani, Maricaj, Albania
- April 15, 1979, Montenegro, Balkans NW
- February 5, 1786, Corfu (Kerkira), Greece
- June 1, 1905, Shkoder, Albania
- January 28, 1931, Korce, Albania
- May 13, 1895, Margarition-Filiates (Thesprotia), Greece
- January 2, 1866, Narta, Vlore, Kanina, Albania
- March 2, 1866, Smokthine, Velca, Vlore, Albania
- November 26, 2019, Durres, Thumane, Tirana, Albania
- August 27, 1942, Peshkopia, Magellare, Albania
- November 21, 1930, Vlore, Himare, Kuc, Albania
- December 2, 1930, Vlore, Tepelene, Albania
- November 30, 1967, Albania
- March 18, 1962, Albania
More
Significant earthquakes of 1851The 1800sRecent 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 1921.