September 11, 2016 Earthquake: Macedonia, Balkans NW, North Macedonia
A magnitude 5.1 earthquake struck Macedonia, Balkans NW, North Macedonia on September 11, 2016 at 13:10:08 UTC, 13 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
- September 11, 2016
- Time
- 13:10:08 UTC
- Place
- Macedonia, Balkans NW, North Macedonia
- Magnitude
- 5.1 (Mw)
- Focal depth
- 13 km (8 mi)
- Intensity
- 8 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 42.008° N, 21.488° E
- Country
- North Macedonia
The toll
- Injuries
- 137
- Damage
- $10 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.
Felt (VI) at Skopje; (V) at Kumanovo, Saraj and Sopiste; (IV) at Tetovo and Veles; (III) at Bitola. Felt (IV) at Urosevac and (III) at Pristina, Kosovo. Felt in much of Kosovo and Macedonia and in parts of southern Serbia. Also felt at Tirana, Albania; Sofia, Bulgaria; Popesti-Leordeni, Romania; Sgourou, Greece. Ilinden, Skopje, Macedonia - CDI: 8; Čučer-Sandevo, Skopje, Macedonia - CDI: 7; Kondovo, Skopje, Macedonia - CDI: 7; Skopje, Skopje, Macedonia - CDI: 6; Studeničani, Skopje, Macedonia - CDI: 6 (reference #13456)
An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.3 struck on the outskirts of Macedonia's capital on Sunday, injuring at least 30 people and causing minor damage to buildings, authorities said. The quake occurred just after 3 p.m. (1300 GMT; 9 a.m. EDT), seismologist Dragana Cernih from the national seismological observatory told The Associated Press. She said she received reports of cracks in the walls of buildings or collapsed chimneys, as well as damage to roofs in villages around Skopje. At least 30 people were slightly injured leaving their homes in panic, crisis management department spokeswoman Nadica V'ckova told The Associated Press late Sunday. (reference #11602)
10,000,000 USD in damages (reference #1250)
137 injured (reference #13215)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- July 26, 1963, Skopje, Macedonia, Balkans NW, North Macedonia
- April 15, 1979, Montenegro, Balkans NW
- June 1, 1905, Shkoder, Albania
- January 28, 1931, Korce, Albania
- November 26, 2019, Durres, Thumane, Tirana, Albania
- August 27, 1942, Peshkopia, Magellare, Albania
- November 30, 1967, Albania
- February 25, 1983, Skopje, Macedonia, Balkans NW, North Macedonia
- July 5, 1902, Thessaloniki, Greece
- September 1, 1959, Albania
- April 24, 2002, N, Kosovo, Macedonia, Balkans NW, Serbia
- December 21, 1990, Edhessa, Kilkis, Greece
- November 3, 1968, Montenegro, Balkans NW
- January 13, 2024, Lushnje, Albania
- 518, Skopje, Stamer, Macedonia, Balkans NW, North Macedonia
More
Significant earthquakes of 2016The 2000sEvery quake the USGS located in 2016Recent 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 10198.