December 17, 2003 Earthquake: Povadiya, Bulgaria
A magnitude 4.4 earthquake struck Povadiya, Bulgaria on December 17, 2003 at 23:15:17 UTC, 34 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
- December 17, 2003
- Time
- 23:15:17 UTC
- Place
- Povadiya, Bulgaria
- Magnitude
- 4.4 (mb)
- Focal depth
- 34 km (21 mi)
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 43.083° N, 27.486° E
- Country
- Bulgaria
The toll
- Damage
- Moderate (about $1 to $5 million)
- Houses destroyed
- 10
- Houses damaged
- 10; 150 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.
At least 10 houses collapsed
and 150 buildings damaged in the Povadiya area. Felt
at Shumen and Varna. (reference #1053)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- March 31, 1901, Balchik, Bulgaria
- March 31, 1901, Balchik, Kavarna, Blatnitsa, Limanu, Bulgaria
- December 7, 1986, Veliko Turnovo-Turgovishte, Bulgaria
- November 1444, Varna, Bulgaria
- 50 BC, Bisone [kavarna], Dionisopolis [balchik], Bulgaria
- November 26, 1829, Bucharest, Romania
- June 14, 1913, Tirnovo, Bulgaria
- November 16, 1509, Edirne, Turkey
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 5748.