September 26, 1997 Earthquake: Marche, Umbria, Central, Italy
A magnitude 6 earthquake struck Marche, Umbria, Central, Italy on September 26, 1997 at 09:40:26 UTC, 10 km below the surface. It killed 14 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 26, 1997
- Time
- 09:40:26 UTC
- Place
- Marche, Umbria, Central, Italy
- Magnitude
- 6 (Mw)
- Focal depth
- 10 km (6 mi)
- Intensity
- 10 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 43.084° N, 12.812° E
- Country
- Italy
The toll
- Deaths
- 14
- Injuries
- 100
- Damage
- $4.5 billion
- Houses destroyed
- 80,000
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.
September 26, 1997 09:40:26.3 UTC, Central Italy. Eleven
people killed, more than 100 injured and about 80,000 homes
destroyed or damaged in the Marche and Umbria regions by
this earthquake and the event at 00:33:12 UTC on September
26. Maximum intensity (X) at Serravalle di Chienti and (IX)
at Valtopina. Extensive damage to the Basilica of St.
Francis at Assisi. Felt in many parts of central and
northern Italy from Bologna and Modena to Rome. Felt (IV)
in western and central Slovenia and (III) in southern
Karnten Province, Austria. (reference #1053)
September 26, 1997, 14 killed, $4524.9 damage. (reference #1250)
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
- December 25, 1352, Sansepolcro, Italy
- September 9, 1349, L'Aquila, Abruzzi, Sannio, Italy
- April 14, 1672, Rimini, 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
- June 13, 1542, Scarperia, Italy
More
Significant earthquakes of 1997The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1997Recent 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 5473.