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Sep 23, 1551
1551 Valleta tornado
As the deadliest tornado ever recorded in European history, the Valletta tornado of 1551 began as a waterspout and struck the Grand Harbor of Malta killing approximately 600. Despite the tornado's name, Valletta did not exist at the time, as the city's first stone was laid down on 28 March 1566, between ten and fifteen years after the tornado. -
1693 Sicily Earthquake
An estimated magnitude of 7.4 on the moment magnitude scale, this earthquake is the most powerful in Italian history and a maximum intensity of XI (Extreme) on the Mercalli intensity scale, destroying at least 70 towns and cities, seriously affecting an area of 5,600 square kilometers (2,200 sq mi) and causing the death of about 60,000 people. The earthquake was followed by tsunamis that devastated the coastal villages on the Ionian Sea and in the Straits of Messina. -
1908 Messina tsunami and earthquake
On December 8, 1908 an 7.5 magnitude earthquake on the richter scale, followed by a devastating tsunami, struck southern Italy killing off many coastal towns and lives of civilians. The wave was an estimated 40 feet high and crashed on the northern coast of Sicily. Millions of dollars worth of damage and wreckage followed. -
1966 Venice flood
On November 4, 1966, an abnormal occurrence of high tides, rain-swollen rivers and a severe wind caused the canals to rise to a height 6 ft 4in. Although Venice is known for its acque alte or high waters, this flood left thousands of residents without homes and caused over six million dollars worth of damage -
1999 Cyclones
Lothar and Martin were violent European windstorms which swept across western and central Europe during a period of 36 hours in December 1999. The storms caused major damage in France, southern Germany, Switzerland, and Italy. Throughout the affected region, 140 people were killed and damage was estimated at €9.9 billion. -
2009 Messina Mud Slides
On the night of 1–2 October 2009, a sudden downpour of rain, accompanied by strong winds and lightning, caused large mudslides through the valleys of the northeastern coast. The extreme nature of the weather gave people little time to flee buildings or vehicles; mud rapidly swept down from the surrounding hills and cliffs -
2012 Zingaro National Park Wildfire
Hundreds of tourists were evacuated from one of Sicily's most spectacular national parks as 30 fires swept through southern Italy in searing summer heat. At least 3 were reported dead. -
2013 Cyclone Cleopatra
The 2013 Sardinia floods took place in and around the Sardinian town of Olbia between 17 and 19 November 2013. Killing at least 18, the flooding was caused by cyclone Cleopatra that created continuous amounts of rain. -
2016 Central Italy Earthquake
At least 247 were killed in a 6.2 magnitude earthquake in central Italy. The earthquake had extremely damaging effects on the landscape of Italy due to the old structures that were still standing in central Italy. Many cracked and fell apart causing expensive and irreplaceable damage. -
79 AD Mount Vesuvius Eruption
Mount Vesuvius near Pompeii, Italy, begins to erupt on this day in the year 79; within the next 25 hours, it wipes out the entire town. Hundreds of years later, archaeologists excavated Pompeii and found everything and everyone that had been there that day perfectly preserved by the volcano’s ash.
