November 16, 1894 Earthquake: Palmi, Santa Cristina, Italy
An earthquake struck Palmi, Santa Cristina, Italy on November 16, 1894 at 18:52 UTC. It killed 101 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
- November 16, 1894
- Time
- 18:52 UTC
- Place
- Palmi, Santa Cristina, Italy
- Intensity
- 10 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- Yes: the tsunami it caused
- Epicenter
- 38.300° N, 15.900° E
- Country
- Italy
The toll
- Deaths
- 101
- Damage
- Moderate (about $1 to $5 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.
1894, November 16, 18h52m. Calabrian Arc, Calabria, the shore of the Tyrrhenian Sea. A destructive earthquake occurred. Changes in the composition and level of spring water took place in many places. Fissures appeared, and the ground caved in here and there. Some fishermen in boats near Pellaro thought their boats struck against an underwater rock. To fishermen in another boat it seemed that a shark had passed under them. Some of the fishermen had the impression that dynamite was being exploded under their vessel to stun fish. People in the mail -boat navigating fiom the Lipari Islands felt a strong shock. The earthquake was accompanied by tsunami on the shore from Tropea to Cannitello. (reference #2130)
Reference #1093 lists earthquake on Nov 16, 1894, in the province of Reggio at Palmi and S. Cristina, intensity X, 101 deaths.
Reference #1099 lists earthquake on Nov 16, 1894, 17:48 UTC, 38.3 N, 15.8 E, intensity X. A disastrous shock in the western part of the province of Reggio, particularly at
Palmi and S. Cristina, 96-101 victims, destructive also at Seminara, S. Procopio, Bagnara and Castellaci d'Oppido, etc., felt at Salerno, Cotronei, Palermo.
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- December 28, 1908, Messina, Sicily, Calabria, Italy
- January 9, 1693, Sicily, Calabria, Catania, Italy
- January 11, 1693, Sicily, Calabria, Italy
- February 5, 1783, Tyrrhenian Calabria, Italy
- February 4, 1169, Siracusa (Syracuse), Calabria, Sicily, Italy
- 1137, Catania, Sicily, Italy
- September 16, 1857, Calabria,montemurro, Italy
- August 6, 1757, Siracusa (Syracuse), Italy
- March 27, 1638, Cosenza,martirano, Nicastro, Calabria, Italy
- November 5, 1659, Panaija, Soriano, Polia, Italy
- February 6, 1783, Messina Straits, Italy
- 1086, Siracusa (Syracuse), Italy
- January 21, 1065, Catania,messina,milazzo,pale, Sicily, Italy
- April 24, 1836, Rossano,crosia,craco,basilicata, Italy
- September 8, 1905, Monteleone, Tropea, Monte Poro, Italy
More
Significant earthquakes of 1894The 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 2461.