December 5, 2004 Earthquake: Emmendingen, Freiburg Im Breisgau, Germany
A magnitude 4.8 earthquake struck Emmendingen, Freiburg Im Breisgau, Germany on December 5, 2004 at 01:52:37 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
- December 5, 2004
- Time
- 01:52:37 UTC
- Place
- Emmendingen, Freiburg Im Breisgau, Germany
- Magnitude
- 4.8 (Mw)
- Focal depth
- 10 km (6 mi)
- Intensity
- 5 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 48.115° N, 8.077° E
- Country
- Germany
The toll
- Damage
- Limited (under about $1 million)
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.
Minor damage (V) in the Emmendingen-Freiburg im
Breisgau-Waldkirch area. Felt (III) at Stuttgart. Felt
(V) in Voralberg, Austria; (IV) in the Zurich area and
(III) at Basel, Switzerland. Felt in parts of France
and in other parts of Germany and Switzerland. (reference #1053)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- June 10, 1510, Nordlingen, Bavaria, Germany
- October 18, 1356, Basel, Switzerland
- September 18, 1601, Switzerland
- November 25, 1289, Strasbourg, France
- March 22, 2003, Albstadt, Germany
- December 8, 2006, Basel, Switzerland
- September 3, 1978, Germany
- May 12, 1021, Switzerland
- November 24, 1346, Switzerland
- September 14, 1454, Switzerland
- September 15, 1454, Switzerland
- November 29, 1610, Switzerland
- March 23, 1391, Switzerland
- February 22, 2003, Edigen, Baccarat, Colmar, Thann, Germany, France
- May 12, 1682, Remiremont,fougerolles,faucogney, France
More
Significant earthquakes of 2004The 2000sEvery quake the USGS located in 2004Recent 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 5832.