The Messina Earthquake of 1908

Earthquakes have been recorded throughout history for thousands of years. Even before seismographs in early times, there are records and accounts of mysterious ground shaking. Earthquakes occur when rocks break along an underground fault (UPSeis, 2007). This, in return, causes vibrations through the earth which causes ground shaking. The magnitude of the shaking varies depending on how great the movement along the fault is; the greater the movement, the bigger the earthquake. Some earthquakes are huge and cause significant damage, while others are small and cause little or no damage what-so-ever. Earthquakes are unpredictable, and can happen at any time. It is uncertain where an earthquake will strike, but there is a greater risk of an earthquake for areas lying on or near a fault. No one is ever prepared for an earthquake, so the people affected must face a sometimes terrifying reality and can be scarred for life. One country in particular that has been severely affected from an earthquake is Italy. Over a century ago Messina, a city located in Sicily, was to face one of the most devastating natural events of the century.

Messina, Italy was one of Sicily’s popular and busy trading cities. But in the winter of 1908 an earthquake would occur that would scar the country forever. On December 28, 1908, just a few days after Christmas, Italy was to experience on of the worst natural disasters in its history. At approximately 5:20am, while most of Italy was still sound asleep, an earthquake struck that devastated the entire city, as well as many surrounding areas. The Messina, or Messina-Reggio, Earthquake struck with a magnitude of between 6.7 and 7.2 . Because the earthquake occurred in the early days of seismology,...

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