June 15, 1794 Eruption of Vesuvius
Vesuvius in Italy erupted on June 15, 1794 with a Volcanic Explosivity Index of 3. The eruption killed 400 people.
Where it erupted
Vesuvius, Italy, with its other significant eruptions.
The eruption
- Date
- June 15, 1794
- Volcano
- Vesuvius, complex volcano
- Country
- Italy
- Volcanic Explosivity Index
- 3, moderate to large (eruption column 3 to 15 km)
- Killed by
- Mudflows and lahars; Lava flows; Tephra (ash, bombs, lapilli, steam blasts); Gas (from eruptive craters, fumaroles and solfataras)
- Location
- 40.821° N, 14.426° E
The toll
- Deaths
- 400
- Damage
- Severe (about $5 to $25 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.
60 fatalities at Torre del Greco, with 80% of the town destroyed by lava flows. Several people died from CO2. Sapper reported 26 killed, possibly by lava flows. Hoffer described 15 deaths by lava flows and explosions when the lava reached the bay. Scandone et al. reported a total of 400 fatalities, and complete destruction (by mudflows and ashfall?) of S. Guiseppe, Ottaviano, and Somma. (reference #9675)
Other significant eruptions of Vesuvius
More
Every eruption in 1794The 1700sVesuviusEarthquakes near VesuviusThis day in weather history
Sources
Volcanoes and significant eruptions 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. Volcano numbers are the Smithsonian Institution’s Global Volcanism Program’s. NCEI event 1345.