Human consequences
The deadliest European earthquake of the 20th century.
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EarthquakeMessina earthquake
80,000Deaths
Not quantifiedDisplaced / homeless
Not quantifiedEstimated cost
- Between 75,000 and 82,000 deaths, including more than half the population of Messina.
A magnitude 7.1 earthquake strikes the Strait of Messina before dawn, followed by a tsunami about ten metres high that sweeps both shores.
Consequences
Environmental consequences
The tsunami reaches 12 m in places and reshapes the coastline of the strait.
Economic consequences
Messina and Reggio are about 90% destroyed.
Political consequences
Italy’s first earthquake building code; the Russian and British navies lead an international relief effort on an unprecedented scale.
Further reading
Similar disasters
- Great Kantō earthquakeEarthquake · Japan1923
- Lisbon earthquake and tsunamiEarthquake · Portugal1755
- Haiyuan earthquakeEarthquake · China1920
- San Francisco earthquakeEarthquake · United States1906
In the rankings : The deadliest earthquakes in history No. 9
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