May 24, 1979 Earthquake: Debar, Macedonia, Balkans NW, North Macedonia

Date

May 24, 1979

Time

17:23:18 UTC

Place

Debar, Macedonia, Balkans NW, North Macedonia

Magnitude

6.2 (Ms)

Focal depth

8 km (5 mi)

Intensity

8 on the Modified Mercalli scale

Tsunami

None recorded

Epicenter

42.255° N, 18.752° E

Country

North Macedonia

Injuries

65

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.

• April 6, 1667, Ragusa, Dubrovnik, Croatia, Balkans NWM7.2 · 5,000 deaths · 66 km
• April 15, 1979, Montenegro, Balkans NWM6.9 · 131 deaths · $2.7 billion · 42 km
• June 1, 1905, Shkoder, AlbaniaM6.6 · 120 deaths · $23.8 million · 72 km
• November 26, 2019, Durres, Thumane, Tirana, AlbaniaM6.4 · 51 deaths · $1.1 billion · 11,000 houses destroyed · 105 km
• August 27, 1942, Peshkopia, Magellare, AlbaniaM6 · 43 deaths · 150 km
• November 30, 1967, AlbaniaM6.5 · 18 deaths · $20 million · 167 km
• March 18, 1962, AlbaniaM6 · 15 deaths · 163 km
• January 7, 1962, Croatia, Balkans NWM5.9 · 4 deaths · 178 km
• September 1, 1959, AlbaniaM6.1 · 2 deaths · 174 km
• November 3, 1968, Montenegro, Balkans NWM5.3 · 1 death · $38.6 million · 48 km
• April 22, 2022, Mostar, Stolac, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Balkans NW, Bosnia and HerzegovinaM5.7 · 1 death · 102 km
• May 13, 1984, Dubrovnik, Ljubinje, Croatia, Bosnia and HerzegovinaM5.1 · 1 death · 115 km
• January 13, 2024, Lushnje, AlbaniaM4.5 · 1 death · 165 km
• November 16, 1982, Bier, Berat, Lushnje, Albania, Balkans NW, North MacedoniaM5.5 · 1 death · $5 million · 168 km
• January 11, 1962, Croatia, Balkans NWM6.1 · 1 death · 2,290 houses destroyed · 178 km

Significant earthquakes of 1979The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1979Recent earthquakes near hereThis day in weather history

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 4833.