October 29, 2002 Earthquake: Santa Venerina, Sicily, Italy
A magnitude 4.3 earthquake struck Santa Venerina, Sicily, Italy on October 29, 2002 at 10:02:21 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
- October 29, 2002
- Time
- 10:02:21 UTC
- Place
- Santa Venerina, Sicily, Italy
- Magnitude
- 4.3 (mb)
- Focal depth
- 10 km (6 mi)
- Intensity
- 8 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Volcano
- The eruption it came with
- Epicenter
- 37.670° N, 15.267° E
- Country
- Italy
The toll
- Injuries
- 9
- Damage
- Limited (under about $1 million)
- Houses damaged
- Some (about 51 to 100)
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.
At least 9 people injured and dozens of buildings damaged (VIII) in the Santa Venerina area. Felt (V) at Catania and
(IV) at Messina. (reference #1053)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- December 28, 1908, Messina, Sicily, Calabria, Italy
- January 9, 1693, Sicily, Calabria, Catania, Italy
- January 11, 1693, Sicily, Calabria, Italy
- February 5, 1783, Tyrrhenian Calabria, Italy
- February 4, 1169, Siracusa (Syracuse), Calabria, Sicily, Italy
- 1137, Catania, Sicily, Italy
- August 6, 1757, Siracusa (Syracuse), Italy
- March 27, 1638, Cosenza,martirano, Nicastro, Calabria, Italy
- November 5, 1659, Panaija, Soriano, Polia, Italy
- February 6, 1783, Messina Straits, Italy
- 1086, Siracusa (Syracuse), Italy
- January 21, 1065, Catania,messina,milazzo,pale, Sicily, Italy
- September 8, 1905, Monteleone, Tropea, Monte Poro, Italy
- June 19, 1640, Badolato, Italy
- September 1, 1726, Palermo, Marsala, Mazzara, Italy
More
Significant earthquakes of 2002The 2000sEvery quake the USGS located in 2002Recent 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 5659.