December 17, 1926 Earthquake: Durres, Albania
A magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck Durres, Albania on December 17, 1926 at 06:31:05 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
- December 17, 1926
- Time
- 06:31:05 UTC
- Place
- Durres, Albania
- Magnitude
- 5.8 (Ms)
- Intensity
- 10 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 41.000° N, 19.500° E
- Country
- Albania
The toll
- Damage
- Severe (about $5 to $25 million)
- Houses destroyed
- Many (101 to 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.
Reference #1004 lists earthquake on Dec 17, 1926, 06:31:05 UTC, 41 N, 19.5 E, magnitude 5.8, intensity X.
Reference #1109 lists earthquake in Durres on Dec 17, 1927, 06:31 UTC, intensity X, many houses destroyed, number of the victims unknown.
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- October 12, 1851, Vlore (Valona),berat, Turkey, Albania
- July 26, 1963, Skopje, Macedonia, Balkans NW, North Macedonia
- October 17, 1851, Berat, Albania
- November 26, 1920, Tepelene, Dragoti, Peshtani, Maricaj, Albania
- April 15, 1979, Montenegro, Balkans NW
- June 1, 1905, Shkoder, Albania
- February 5, 1786, Corfu (Kerkira), Greece
- 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
More
Significant earthquakes of 1926The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1926Recent 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 3301.