October 9, 1984 Earthquake: Messina, Greece

Date

October 9, 1984

Time

04:30:42 UTC

Place

Messina, Greece

Magnitude

4.5 (Ms)

Focal depth

27 km (17 mi)

Intensity

7 on the Modified Mercalli scale

Tsunami

None recorded

Epicenter

37.013° N, 21.757° E

Country

Greece

Injuries

1

Damage

Moderate (about $1 to $5 million); Severe (about $5 to $25 million) with its tsunami and other effects

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.

• December 856, Korinthos,patrai (Patras), Greece45,000 deaths · 141 km
• July 7, 551, Schisma, Boetia, GreeceM7.1 · 5,000 deaths · 161 km
• June 7, 1750, Morea,cerigo, Greece2,000 deaths · 143 km
• September 30, 1636, Cephalonia, GreeceM7.2 · 520 deaths · 176 km
• August 12, 1953, Lixouri-Argostoli (Kephallenia), GreeceM7.2 · 476 deaths · $100 million · 30,439 houses destroyed · 166 km
• December 29, 1820, Zakinthos (Zante), GreeceM6.9 · 388 deaths · 379 houses destroyed · 93 km
• August 27, 1886, Triphylie (Peleponese), Philiatra, GreeceM6.8 · 326 deaths · 6,000 houses destroyed · 11 km
• July 11, 1767, Kefalonia, GreeceM6.7 · 303 deaths · 2,642 houses destroyed · 180 km
• February 4, 1867, Cephalonia, GreeceM7.2 · 223 deaths · 3,200 houses destroyed · 179 km
• August 23, 1817, Aeghion, Achaia, GreeceM6.6 · 128 deaths · 144 km
• February 25, 1742, Zakynthos, GreeceM6.6 · 120 deaths · 101 km
• August 1, 1870, Itea Delphi (Phokis), GreeceM7 · 100 deaths · 178 km
• September 30, 1870, GreeceM7.5 · 100 deaths · 178 km
• November 2, 1791, Zante, Gastuni, GreeceM7 · 80 deaths · 151 km
• January 30, 1785, Patrai (Patras), Zakynthos (Zante), Greece38 deaths · 132 km

Significant earthquakes of 1984The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1984Recent 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 5049.