January 13, 1915 Earthquake: Marsica, Avezzano, Abruzzi, Italy

Name: January 13, 1915 Earthquake: Marsica, Avezzano, Abruzzi, Italy
Start: 1915-01-13
Location: Marsica, Avezzano, Abruzzi, Italy

January 13, 1915 · M7.5 · 29,978 deaths · $60 million

A magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck Marsica, Avezzano, Abruzzi, Italy on January 13, 1915 at 06:52:38 UTC, 10 km below the surface. It killed 29,978 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: January 13, 1915
Time: 06:52:38 UTC
Place: Marsica, Avezzano, Abruzzi, Italy
Magnitude: 7.5 (Ms)
Focal depth: 10 km (6 mi)
Intensity: 11 on the Modified Mercalli scale
Tsunami: None recorded
Epicenter: 42.000° N, 13.500° E
Country: Italy

The toll

Deaths: 29,978
Damage: $60 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.

Reference #88 lists earthquake on Jan 13, 1915, 06:52:38 UTC, 42 N, 13.5 E, magnitude 7.5, shallow depth.

Reference #130 lists earthquake on Jan 13, 1915, 06:52.7 UTC, 42 N, 13.5 E, magnitude 7.5.

Reference #1004 lists earthquake on Jan 13, 1915, 06:52 UTC, 42 N, 13.5 E, magnitude 6.8, intensity XI, depth 10 km.

Reference #1075 lists earthquake on Jan 13, 1915, 06:52 UTC, 42 N, 13.6 E, intensity X-XI, in Marsica.

Reference #1093 lists 29978 deaths, intensity 11.5.

Reference #1173 lists earthquake on Jan 13, 1915, magnitude 7, 35000 or 29980 deaths in Avezzano.

Reference #1002 lists earthquake on Jan 13, 1915, magnitude 7.5, 30000 deaths in Avezzano, Sabine Mts.

Reference #1250 lists earthquake on Jan 13, 1915, 30000 deaths, $60 million damage.

Reference #1248 lists $25 million damage.

Other significant earthquakes nearby

Within 200 km, the deadliest first.

Significant earthquakes of 1915 The 1900s Every quake the USGS located in 1915 Recent earthquakes near here This 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 3025.