August 14, 2003 Earthquake: Lefkada, Preveza, Greece
A magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck Lefkada, Preveza, Greece on August 14, 2003 at 05:14:54 UTC, 10 km below the surface. It caused a tsunami.
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
- August 14, 2003
- Time
- 05:14:54 UTC
- Place
- Lefkada, Preveza, Greece
- Magnitude
- 6.3 (Mw)
- Focal depth
- 10 km (6 mi)
- Tsunami
- Yes: the tsunami it caused
- Epicenter
- 39.160° N, 20.605° E
- Country
- Greece
The toll
- Injuries
- 50
- Damage
- Moderate (about $1 to $5 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 50 people injured, some buildings and infrastructure damaged and landslides occurred on Lefkada. Damage to buildings in the Preveza area. Felt in much of southern and western Greece. Felt (IV) at Bitola and (III) at Skopje, former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. Also felt in parts of southern Italy. (reference #1053)
On August 14, 2003 at 08:15 local time (05:15 GMT) a magnitude 6.4earthquake struck close to the islando f Lefkada in Western Greece. The earthquake was strongly felt in other Ionian Islands (Kephalonia, Zakynthos, Ithaki, etc.) and in a large area on the mainland of Greece. The shock was also felt as far away as Athens (Δ=280 km).The epicenter was located in the Ionian Sea, about 30 km east-north-east of the town of Lefkada. Within the next 12 hours, three major after-shocks were felt [...] There were no deaths, and only a small number of injuries. Moderate damage was observed in villages of the central and western part of the island as well as in the town of Lefkada. (reference #12976)
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 2003The 2000sEvery quake the USGS located in 2003Recent 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 5715.