May 24, 2009 Earthquake: Macedonia, Balkans NW, North Macedonia
A magnitude 5.3 earthquake struck Macedonia, Balkans NW, North Macedonia on May 24, 2009 at 16:17:50 UTC, 0 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
- May 24, 2009
- Time
- 16:17:50 UTC
- Place
- Macedonia, Balkans NW, North Macedonia
- Magnitude
- 5.3 (Mw)
- Focal depth
- 0 km (0 mi)
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 41.303° N, 22.714° E
- Country
- North Macedonia
The toll
- Damage
- Moderate (about $1 to $5 million)
- Houses damaged
- Many (101 to 1,000) 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.
Dozens of houses damaged in the Valandovo area. Felt (V) at
Bogdanci and Strumica, (IV) at Gevgelija and (II) at
Skopje. Also felt at Bitola, Dojran, Gostivar, Kavadarci and Prilep. Felt (III) at Sofia and (II) at Plovdiv, Bulgaria. Also felt at Blagoevgrad, Bukhovo, Ikhtiman, Kyustendil, Pernik and Sandanski. Felt at Mitrovica, Kosovo and at Kilkis and Thessaloniki, Greece. (reference #1053)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- July 26, 1963, Skopje, Macedonia, Balkans NW, North Macedonia
- September 26, 1932, Hierissos-Strantonion (Chalkidiki), Greece
- January 28, 1931, Korce, Albania
- June 20, 1978, Thessaloniki, Greece
- August 27, 1942, Peshkopia, Magellare, Albania
- April 20, 1954, Greece
- November 30, 1967, Albania
- February 25, 1983, Skopje, Macedonia, Balkans NW, North Macedonia
- July 5, 1902, Thessaloniki, Greece
- December 21, 1990, Edhessa, Kilkis, Greece
- April 24, 2002, N, Kosovo, Macedonia, Balkans NW, Serbia
- March 8, 1931, Greece
- September 4, 896, Macedonia, Balkans NW, North Macedonia
- September 28, 1985, Demir Kapija-Negotino, Macedonia, Balkans NW, North Macedonia
- April 4, 1904, Struma, Bulgaria
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 8382.