June 17, 2000 Earthquake: Vestmannaeyjar, Hella, Iceland
A magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck Vestmannaeyjar, Hella, Iceland on June 17, 2000 at 15:40:41 UTC, 10 km below the surface.
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
- June 17, 2000
- Time
- 15:40:41 UTC
- Place
- Vestmannaeyjar, Hella, Iceland
- Magnitude
- 6.5 (Mw)
- Focal depth
- 10 km (6 mi)
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 63.966° N, 20.487° W
- Country
- Iceland
The toll
- Injuries
- 1
- Damage
- $20 million
- Houses destroyed
- 11
- Houses damaged
- 11; 19 with its tsunami and other effects
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.
One person injured and rockslides closed some
roads at Vestmannaeyjar. At least 11 houses destroyed,
19 houses and a glass factory damaged and utilities
disrupted at Hella. Felt throughout western Iceland. (reference #1053)
June 17, 2000, $20 million damage, damage to buildings, roads and pipelines. (reference #1249)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- 1164, Southland,grimsnes, Iceland
- 1013, Sudurland, Iceland
- 1182, Southland, Iceland
- June 21, 2000, Grimsnes, Selfoss, Eyrarbakki, Stokkseyri, Iceland
- August 14, 1784, Southland,arnessysla,bangar,sysla, Iceland
- May 6, 1912, Iceland
- August 26, 1896, Arnessysla, Iceland
- May 29, 2008, Reykjavik, Iceland
- April 20, 1706, Selfoss, Iceland
- July 23, 1929, Iceland
- August 28, 1924, Reykjavik, Iceland
More
Significant earthquakes of 2000The 2000sEvery quake the USGS located in 2000Recent 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 8209.