September 19, 1979 Earthquake: Umbria, Central, Italy
A magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck Umbria, Central, Italy on September 19, 1979 at 21:35:37 UTC, 16 km below the surface. It killed 5 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
- September 19, 1979
- Time
- 21:35:37 UTC
- Place
- Umbria, Central, Italy
- Magnitude
- 5.8 (Ms)
- Focal depth
- 16 km (10 mi)
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 42.812° N, 13.061° E
- Country
- Italy
The toll
- Deaths
- 5
- Injuries
- 5,000
- Damage
- Severe (about $5 to $25 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.
Five people reported killed (VIII), at least 5000 people reported injured and considerable damage in the Umbria region. Felt over a wide area of central Italy. (reference #1053)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- January 14, 1703, Central Apennino, Norcia, L'Aquila, Perugia, Italy
- January 13, 1915, Marsica, Avezzano, Abruzzi, Italy
- February 2, 1703, L'Aquila (Aquila), Italy
- December 1, 1328, Norcia, Italy
- September 9, 1349, L'Aquila, Abruzzi, Sannio, Italy
- December 25, 1352, Sansepolcro, Italy
- April 14, 1672, Rimini, Italy
- November 3, 1706, Sulmona to Campobasso, Abruzzi, Italy
- July 23, 1654, Alvito,bellomonte,pontecorvo,sora, Italy
- September 30, 1789, Citta Di Castello,sansepolcro, Italy
- April 6, 2009, L'Aquila, Italy
- August 24, 2016, Accumoli, Arquata, Amatrice, Italy
- May 12, 1730, Norcia, Italy
- August 3, 1414, Sansepolcro, Italy
- October 19, 1768, Santa Sofia, Italy
More
Significant earthquakes of 1979The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1979Recent 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 4844.