December 28, 1908 - Earthquake strikes Messina, Sicily-Italy (nearly 100,000 died). Messina earthquake and tsunami of 1908, earthquake and subsequent tsunami that devastated southern Italy on Dec. 28, 1908. The double catastrophe almost completely destroyed Messina, Reggio di Calabria, and dozens of nearby coastal towns. What was likely the most powerful recorded earthquake to hit Europe struck at about 5:20 am local time. Its epicentre was under the Strait of Messina, which separates the island of Sicily from the province of Calabria, the “toe” of Italy’s geographical “boot.” The main shock lasted for more than 20 seconds, and its magnitude reached 7.5 on the Richter scale. The tsunami that followed brought waves estimated to be 40 feet (13 metres) high crashing down on the coasts of northern Sicily and southern Calabria. More than 100,000 people were killed in the disaster. Many of the survivors were relocated to other Italian cities; others immigrated to the United States.
Posted on: Sat, 27 Dec 2014 22:19:39 +0000
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