May 11, 2011 Earthquake: Lorca, Spain
A magnitude 5.1 earthquake struck Lorca, Spain on May 11, 2011 at 16:47:25 UTC, 1 km below the surface. It killed 10 people.
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 11, 2011
- Time
- 16:47:25 UTC
- Place
- Lorca, Spain
- Magnitude
- 5.1 (Mw)
- Focal depth
- 1 km (1 mi)
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 37.699° N, 1.672° W
- Country
- Spain
The toll
- Deaths
- 10
- Injuries
- 324
- Damage
- $260.2 million
- Houses destroyed
- Few (about 1 to 50)
- 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.
At least ten people killed and dozens injured in the Lorca area. Felt (VI) at Lorca, (V) at Alhama de Murcia and (IV) at Huercal-Overa, Mazarron, Murcia, Lumbreras and Totana. Felt in much of southeastern Spain and in the Madrid area. (reference #1053)
An earthquake has hit the Spanish town of Lorca, killing 10 people. Buildings collapsed, including a number of historic churches, and much of the town centre was damaged. Many residents spent the night outdoors. According to the BBC, the magnitude-5.2 quake is "the most serious to hit Spain in about 50 years". The affected town is in the Murcia region of south-east Spain, the country's most seismically active area. (reference #9399)
10 deaths, 300 injured, USD 260.2 million in total damages (reference #1250)
10 deaths, 324 injured, USD 1.173 billion in economic loss (reference #1250)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- March 21, 1829, Torrevieja, Murcia, Spain
- September 22, 1522, Fez, Almeria, Morocco, Spain
- September 30, 1531, Baza, Spain
- August 25, 1804, Almeria, Dalias, Roquetas, Spain
- November 9, 1518, Vera, Spain
- August 28, 1674, Lorca, Spain
- December 2, 1620, Alicante, Spain
- June 26, 1644, Alicante, Spain
- October 27, 1806, Granada, Spain
- April 19, 1956, Spain
- January 29, 2005, La Paca, Zarcilla DE Ramos, Spain
- February 2, 1999, Mula, Puebla DE Mula, Spain
- March 23, 1748, Valence, Spain
- April 24, 1431, Granada, Spain
- March 29, 1954, Spain
More
Significant earthquakes of 2011The 2000sEvery quake the USGS located in 2011Recent 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 9821.