Earthquake Sora, Southern Italy (Lazio - Frosinone) - 63 year old woman dies from a hearth attack

Update Febr. 17 - 09:18 UTC : A 63 year old woman in Isola Liri has died from a heart attack due to this earthquake. ER sends his condolences to her family. Er sees hearth attacks as secondary deaths as the damage of the earthquake cannot be held responsible as the cause.

Villages and towns within 10 km from the epicenter : ARPINO (FR), BROCCOSTELLA (FR), CASTELLIRI (FR), ISOLA DEL LIRI (FR), MONTE SAN GIOVANNI CAMPANO (FR), PESCOSOLIDO (FR), SORA (FR) and BALSORANO (AQ)
Villages and towns within 10 and 20 km from the epicenter : ALVITO (FR), ARCE (FR), BOVILLE ERNICA (FR), CAMPOLI , PPENNINO (FR), CASALATTICO (FR), CASALVIERI (FR), CEPRANO (FR), COLFELICE (FR), FONTANA LIRI (FR), FONTECHIARI (FR), POSTA FIBRENO (FR), RIPI (FR), ROCCA D'ARCE (FR), ROCCASECCA (FR), SANTOPADRE (FR), STRANGOLAGALLI (FR), TORRICE (FR), VEROLI (FR), VICALVI (FR), COLLELONGO (AQ), MORINO (AQ), SAN VINCENZO VALLE ROVETO (AQ) and
VILLAVALLELONGA (AQ)

Italian tectonics are very complex and are mainly complicated subduction processes (subduction is also responsible for the Italian volcanoes). A very good scientific but easy to understand article can be found here.

Shaking map courtesy INGV

Update 23:40 UTC : Luckily NO reports of serious damage, but the people in the greater epicenter area are really frightened. Some villages and towns have setup temporary shelters to allow people who are too frightened to sleep there. Others prefer to sleep in their cars.

Update 22:13 UTC : There have not been any reports of major damage as yet and only panic and minor non-structural damage has been seen as yet.

Update 22:00 UTC : This earthquake also caused similar concern from residents of Rome to that of 2009, with calls to emergency services despite no damage.

Update 21:58 UTC : The earthquake was even felt in l'Aquila. Our second map (at the bottom) shows that there were NO other earthquakes in this area since the beginning of 2012.
This earthquake is around the same place as the 1980 Irpinia earthquake causing major damage. This earthquake will normally only cause minor damage if any presumably.
In 1922 a M5.6 earthquake struck the Sora area and caused some damage too.

INGV showing the risky areas of Italy. This earthquake has an epicenter in the highest risk area of the country.

Update 21:51 UTC : A good sign is an experience report from a reader who said that the motion he felt was mostly vertical and not horizontal. Horizontal accelerations are the most damaging. A second good sign is that other readers tell us that the shaking lasted only a couple of seconds, long lasting shaking increases the chance on damage.

Update 21:48 UTC : A lot of people ran on the streets as they were frightened not only from the earthquake but also from the aftershocks

Update 21:40 UTC : The website from INGV Italy, the National Seismological agency is hard to enter because of the many people looking at them.
Region : Lazio (population 5,196,447) . The nearest places are Latina, Sora, Isola del Liri, Broccostella, Carnello, Cisterna, Vallefredda, and San Domenico. The maximum altitude nearby is 2689m .

Update 21:35 UTC : Our biggest concern are the old buildings in Sora. From Emilia Romagna, we know that these are very vulnerable for even moderate shaking. This earthquake can however NOT be compared with that earthquake as the intensity is a lot less.

Update 21:35 UTC : GDACS reports that at least 100,000 people are living within a radius of 10 km from the epicenter

Update 21:33 UTC : INGV Italia is reporting a Magnitude of 4.8 at a depth of 10.7 km

Update 21:32 UTC : Based on the current data, ER does not expect any serious damage from this earthquake

Update 21:31 UTC : the earthquake will certainly have been felt in Rome, as Rome is only at a distance of 90 km from the epicenter

Update 21:29 UTC : EMSC reports a Magnitude of 4.8 at a depth of 12 km.
Sora, very near the epicenter is a city with a population of 26,600 people

The preliminary Magnitude as reported by Geofon was M4.6

90 km E Rome (pop 2,563,241 ; local time 22:16:10.0 2013-02-16)
64 km NE Latina (pop 113,332 ; local time 22:16:10.0 2013-02-16)
2 km W Sora (pop 26,525 ; local time 22:16:10.0 2013-02-16)

Most important Earthquake Data:

Magnitude : 4.9

Local Time (conversion only below land) : 2013-02-16 22:16:12

GMT/UTC Time : 2013-02-16 21:16:12

Depth (Hypocenter) : 10 km

Depth and Magnitude updates in the list below.

Share your earthquake experience (I Have Felt It) with our readers.
Click on the "I Felt It" button behind the corresponding earthquake. Your earthquake experience is not only important for science, but also for people in the area as well as our global readership.

					Refresh this list
SRC	Location	UTC Date/time	M	D	INFO
EMSC	Southern Italy	Feb 16 22:24	2.3	16	MAP
USGS	Southern Italy	Feb 16 21:16	4.9	28	MAP
GEOFON	Southern Italy	Feb 16 21:16	4.9	10	MAP I Felt It INFO
Roma - Walls lightly shook, I'm living on the top of a 5-storey building in the east of Rome. Rome - time is approximate. just enough to shake the chair i was sitting in. Genazzano, Lazio - Movement was more vertical bouncing than horizontal shaking. Frascati - Weak shaking, felt also in Frascati. Nothing alarming Rome - In Trastevere, felt light shaking Norcia - Bed was shaking for a few seconds in the hotel. Two times. Bugnara - Building lightly shook for a few seconds Pescaserolli - We are us military here and knew just what to di. Do to being taught in school. But the Italian hotel guest had no idea what to do!! But none the less everyone was very scared (via emsc) l'Aquila - Se were seating an the sofa and the window made a strange noiae.. so my mother called me from avezzano 40 km from hear to tall how they felt it more than hear! (via emsc) Roma - seventh floor of a building in Roma Colli Albani. we felt it shaking. plants, lamps and hanging object swinged for a few seconds settecamini - I lampadari di casa si sono mossi ed anche il letto si è mosso per qualche secondo. Rome, Italy - I was laying in my bed, and it felt like someone or something made my bed move. I noticed it, but it lasted what felt like not even a second. It was not very hard or violent, but it was slightly noticeable. I didn't even think it could have been an earthquake until a few of my friends (who also live in Rome) starting talking about an earthquake in Italy not very long after. I had my headphones in, but I do not think any of my other furniture or belongings shook/moved. in casa - tremava tutto, infissi, pavimento, lampadari.......la casa, che si trova nel centro storico, ha delle lesioni..... Eur, Rome - I was on the couch and felt it move, heard a funny noise, looked up and saw the light swinging. I shouted for my son, in his bedroom maybe 15m away he felt nothing. Rome - Felt bed shake a bit and windows rattled San Severino - It woke me up, although wasn't in a deep sleep. Felt weak shaking and the closed bedroom door was rattled. My partner was in the frontroom watching tv but didn't feel or hear anything. Ceccano (FR) - I was inside my house with my family while suddenly I felt a strange rumble that looked like a train that was passing below my home. Few seconds of shaking who caused the windows rattling and suddenly the floor started jolting stronger. So, we ran out of the house while my dog was barking like a crazy. When I was outdoor I noticed that the water in recipients was shaking a lot. A lot of fear but not damages. All neighbours felt it and ran outdoors. The earthquake go on for about 7-8 seconds an Arpino - We were in an old building in centre of Arpino. Light shaking that became very strong. Felt like a freight train was passing through. Quite terrifying. Today there are huge cracks in every room of my home. Alfresco paintings badly damaged. PICINISCO, FROS, - for 3 , 4 seconds it felt like a giant bomb exploding the historic houses shake in the village. The following day domenica (Sunday), everybody gathered in the piazza to tell of their experiences Rome - In eerste instantie leek het of er zwaar verkeer langs het hotel kwam rijden, maar dat kon niet, want het hotel zat in een wandelgebied. Het voelde alsof ik in een rijdende tram zat, alles trilde en hobbelde een beetje gedurende een aantal seconden. Dit is nog een keer gebeurd een paar minuten later.
EMSC	Southern Italy	Feb 16 21:16	4.9	11	MAP

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MMI II (Very weak shaking)	? People : Felt by persons at rest, on upper floors or favorably placed.
MMI III (Weak shaking)	? People : Felt indoors; hanging objects may swing, vibration similar to passing of light trucks, duration may be estimated, may not be recognized as an earthquake.
MMI IV (Light shaking)	? People : Generally noticed indoors but not outside. Light sleepers may be awakened. Vibration may be likened to the passing of heavy traffic, or to the jolt of a heavy object falling or striking the building. Fittings : Doors and windows rattle. Glassware and crockery rattle. Liquids in open vessels may be slightly disturbed. Standing motorcars may rock. Structures : Walls and frames of buildings, and partitions and suspended ceilings in commercial buildings, may be heard to creak.
MMI V (Moderate shaking)	? People : Generally felt outside, and by almost everyone indoors. Most sleepers awakened. A few people alarmed. Fittings : Small unstable objects are displaced or upset. Some glassware and crockery may be broken. Hanging pictures knock against the wall. Open doors may swing. Cupboard doors secured by magnetic catches may open. Pendulum clocks stop, start, or change rate. Structures : Some large display windows cracked. A few earthenware toilet fixtures cracked.
MMI VI (Strong shaking)	? People Felt by all. People and animals alarmed. Many run outside. Difficulty experienced in walking steadily. Fittings : Objects fall from shelves. Pictures fall from walls. Some furniture moved on smooth floors, some unsecured free-standing fireplaces moved. Glassware and crockery broken. Very unstable furniture overturned. Small church and school bells ring. Appliances move on bench or table tops. Filing cabinets or "easy glide" drawers may open (or shut). Structures : Slight damage to buildings with low standard. Some stucco or cement plaster falls. Large display windows broken. Damage to a few weak domestic chimneys, some may fall. Environment : Trees and bushes shake, or are heard to rustle. Loose material may be dislodged from sloping ground, e.g. existing slides, talus slopes, shingle slides.
MMI VII (Very strong shaking)	? People General alarm. Difficulty experienced in standing. Noticed by motorcar drivers who may stop. Fittings : Large bells ring. Furniture moves on smooth floors, may move on carpeted floors. Substantial damage to fragile contents of buildings. Structures : Unreinforced stone and brick walls cracked. Low standard buildings cracked with some minor masonry falls. A few instances of damage to buildings of ordinary workmanship. Unbraced parapets, unbraced brick gables, and architectural ornaments fall. Roofing tiles, especially ridge tiles may be dislodged. Many unreinforced domestic chimneys damaged, often falling from roof-line. Water tanks Type I burst. A few instances of damage to brick veneers and plaster or cement-based linings. Unrestrained water cylinders (hot-water cylinders) may move and leak. Some common windows cracked. Suspended ceilings damaged. Environment : Water made turbid by stirred up mud. Small slides such as falls of sand and gravel banks, and small rock-falls from steep slopes and cuttings. Instances of settlement of unconsolidated or wet, or weak soils. Some fine cracks appear in sloping ground. A few instances of liquefaction (i.e. small water and sand ejections).
MMI VIII (Severe shaking)	? People Alarm may approach panic. Steering of motorcars greatly affected. Structures : Low standard buildings heavily damaged, some collapse. ordinary workmanship buildings damaged, some with partial collapse. Reinforced masonry or concrete buildings damaged in some cases. A few instances of damage to buildings and bridges designed and built to resist earthquakes. Monuments and pre-1976 elevated tanks and factory stacks twisted or brought down. Some pre-1965 infill masonry panels damaged. A few post-1980 brick veneers damaged. Decayed timber piles of houses damaged. Houses not secured to foundations may move. Most unreinforced domestic chimneys damaged, some below roof-line, many brought down. Environment : Cracks appear on steep slopes and in wet ground. Small to moderate slides in roadside cuttings and unsupported excavations. Small water and sand ejections and localized lateral spreading adjacent to streams, canals, lakes, etc.
MMI IX (Violent shaking)	? Structures Many low standard buildings destroyed. Ordinary workmanship buildings heavily damaged, some collapse. Reinforced masonry or concrete buildings damaged, some with partial collapse. Buildings and bridges designed and built to resist earthquakes damaged in some cases, some with flexible frames seriously damaged. Damage or permanent distortion to some buildings and bridges, designed and built to normal use standards. Houses not secured to foundations shifted off. Brick veneers fall and expose frames. Environment : Cracking of ground conspicuous. Landsliding general on steep slopes. Liquefaction effects intensified and more widespread, with large lateral spreading and flow sliding adjacent to streams, canals, lakes, etc.
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Earthquake Sora, Southern Italy (Lazio - Frosinone) - 63 year old woman dies from a hearth attack

Other earlier earthquakes in the greater epicenter area (since 2012)

Strongest earthquakes Magnitude 3.5 or more within a 150 km radius from this earthquake (max. 60)