Nice

Earthquakes near Nice through history

From 1900 to October 19, 2026, USGS recorded 2 earthquakes of magnitude 6 or more within 100 km of Nice, or 200 km for magnitude 7 and above. None reached magnitude 7: the strongest was an estimated magnitude 6.5 on February 23, 1887 (Ligurian Coast).

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The last 30 days · as of

USGS recorded no earthquake of magnitude 4.5 or more within 100 km of Nice in the last 30 days.

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What the record holds

The deadliest was not the strongest: an estimated magnitude 5.8 on July 20, 1564 (Corsica,La Bollene-Vesubie,Venanson), for which NOAA records 650 deaths. NOAA’s list of significant earthquakes has 14 here, back to 1494. NOAA records deaths in 5 of the events here, 1,413 in all. The latest on NOAA’s list is a magnitude 4.6 on April 18, 1968 (Liguria). NOAA’s record here begins on June 13, 1494 with an earthquake (Near S Coast). 12 of the 14 significant earthquakes NOAA lists here came before 1927. NOAA lists 9 tsunamis that began within 100 km of Nice. The highest water NOAA records here was 3 m, on October 16, 1979. The deadliest, on October 16, 1979, killed one person here by NOAA’s runup records.

The events

  • October 16, 1979Tsunami · 3 m hereFrench Riviera (Ligurian Sea) · one death here (NOAA)NOAA NCEI · Wikipedia
  • April 18, 1968Earthquake · M 4.6LiguriaNOAA NCEI
  • July 19, 1963Earthquake · M 6.358 km SSE of San Lorenzo al Mare, ItalyUSGS
  • February 23, 1887Earthquake · M 6.5 (est.)Ligurian Coast · 600 deaths (NOAA)NOAA NCEI · Wikipedia
  • July 20, 1564Earthquake · M 5.8 (est.)Corsica,La Bollene-Vesubie,Venanson · 650 deaths (NOAA)NOAA NCEI
  • June 13, 1494EarthquakeNear S CoastNOAA NCEI

Good to know

  • An event counts for Nice when it began within 100 km of its centre, or 200 km for an earthquake of magnitude 7 or more. Damage can reach further.
  • USGS counts here start at magnitude 6: the catalogue’s smaller quakes thin out going back, where few instruments listened.
  • NOAA lists significant events only: earthquakes that killed, did about $1 million of damage, reached magnitude 7.5 or intensity X, or raised a tsunami, and eruptions and tsunamis by like measures. Magnitudes before 1900 are its estimates from written accounts.
  • Deaths are NOAA’s total for each event, wherever people died, its tsunami and fires included. A tsunami counts the dead its runup records give for this place: NOAA’s total for a tsunami includes its source quake’s.
  • A tsunami from elsewhere counts where one of its runups killed or rose a metre or more.
  • Counted to October 19, 2026, as is the map. The last 30 days ask USGS again.

How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Earthquakes, live, The world through history

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