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M 7.1 - The 1908 Messina, Italy Earthquake and Tsunami

U.S. Geological Survey

Where this source supports the record

Each entry separates the article’s editorial relevance note from its exact, section-level claims. A bibliography link without a direct claim is labeled plainly.

  1. Natural disasters · 28 December 1908

    Messina Earthquake and Tsunami

    Messina Strait disaster area · Italy

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    Why editors use it here

    Instrumental catalog entry documenting the reviewed origin time, magnitude, depth, and epicentral coordinates.

    1. Quick read

      Before dawn on 28 December 1908, a major earthquake struck the Strait of Messina between Sicily and Calabria.

      Reviewed 5 August 2026
    2. Trigger and conditions

      The main shock began at about 5:20 a.m.

      Reviewed 5 August 2026
    3. Uncertainty

      Published death estimates vary widely because civil records, visitors, later deaths, and displaced residents were counted inconsistently.

      Reviewed 5 August 2026
    4. Why it matters

      Messina shows how shaking, building vulnerability, coastal exposure, and broken communications can turn one geological event into overlapping disasters.

      Reviewed 5 August 2026