March 10, 1981 Earthquake: Preveza, Greece
A magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck Preveza, Greece on March 10, 1981 at 15:16:19 UTC, 31 km below the surface. It killed 2 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
- March 10, 1981
- Time
- 15:16:19 UTC
- Place
- Preveza, Greece
- Magnitude
- 5.6 (mb)
- Focal depth
- 31 km (19 mi)
- Intensity
- 8 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 39.481° N, 20.699° E
- Country
- Greece
The toll
- Deaths
- 2
- Damage
- Moderate (about $1 to $5 million)
- Houses destroyed
- 150
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.
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- July 7, 551, Schisma, Boetia, Greece
- June 426 BC, Euboea, Greece
- October 12, 1851, Vlore (Valona),berat, Turkey, Albania
- September 30, 1636, Cephalonia, Greece
- August 12, 1953, Lixouri-Argostoli (Kephallenia), Greece
- October 17, 1851, Berat, Albania
- December 29, 1820, Zakinthos (Zante), Greece
- July 11, 1767, Kefalonia, Greece
- February 4, 1867, Cephalonia, Greece
- November 26, 1920, Tepelene, Dragoti, Peshtani, Maricaj, Albania
- August 23, 1817, Aeghion, Achaia, Greece
- February 5, 1786, Corfu (Kerkira), Greece
- February 25, 1742, Zakynthos, Greece
- August 1, 1870, Itea Delphi (Phokis), Greece
- September 30, 1870, Greece
More
Significant earthquakes of 1981The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1981Recent 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 4917.