April 7, 2009 Earthquake: L'Aquila, Italy
A magnitude 5.5 earthquake struck L'Aquila, Italy on April 7, 2009 at 17:47:37 UTC, 15 km below the surface. It killed 1 person.
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
- April 7, 2009
- Time
- 17:47:37 UTC
- Place
- L'Aquila, Italy
- Magnitude
- 5.5 (Mw)
- Focal depth
- 15 km (9 mi)
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 42.275° N, 13.464° E
- Country
- Italy
The toll
- Deaths
- 1
- Damage
- Limited (under about $1 million)
- Houses damaged
- Few (about 1 to 50)
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 was killed and additional damage to
buildings in L'Aquila. Felt (VI) at L'Aquila and
Manoppello; (V) at Alatri, Camerino, Celano, Penne,
Pratola Peligna, Roseto degli Abruzzi, Sambuceto,
Sulmona and Teramo; (IV) at Ancona, Ascoli Piceno,
Avezzano, Cassino, Chieti, Colleferro, Falconara
Maritima, Fermo, Francavilla al Mare, Frosinone,
Guidonia, Lanciano, Lariano, Latina, Macerata,
Mentana, Monterotondo, Montesilvano, Pesaro, Pescara,
Rieti, Rome, San Benedetto del Tronto, Sora, Termoli
and Terni. Felt throughout central Italy; as far north
and northwest as Belluno and Parma and as far
southeast as Bari and Lamezia Terme. Also felt along
the northern coast of Sicily. (reference #1053)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- January 14, 1703, Central Apennino, Norcia, L'Aquila, Perugia, Italy
- January 13, 1915, Marsica, Avezzano, Abruzzi, Italy
- February 2, 1703, L'Aquila (Aquila), Italy
- 1248, Sabaudia, Italy
- July 26, 1805, Molise, Rosolone, Napoli (Naples), Isernia, Italy
- December 1, 1328, Norcia, Italy
- July 30, 1627, Lesina, Italy
- December 16, 1631, Naples (Napoli), Italy
- March 20, 1731, Foggia, Italy
- June 5, 1688, Benevento, Italy
- July 28, 1883, Casamicciola, Forino, Lacco Ameno, Ischia Is, Italy
- August 24, 79, Naples (Napoli), Italy
- September 9, 1349, L'Aquila, Abruzzi, Sannio, Italy
- December 25, 1352, Sansepolcro, Italy
- November 29, 1732, Ariano, Lucanie, Avellino, Italy
More
Significant earthquakes of 2009The 2000sEvery quake the USGS located in 2009Recent 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 8277.