Three significant earthquakes recorded in Alicante during the DANA

9/6/23, 2:57 PM By IGN / VOLCAN Costa Blanca Photo Credit: IGN

In the midst of the DANA weather system that swept across much of Spain over the weekend, the province of Alicante experienced three seismic events. According to data from the National Geographic Institute (IGN), these earthquakes ranged in magnitude from one to three on the Richter scale, but none of them posed a significant threat of danger or damage.

Two of the tremors occurred on Sunday evening (September 3^rd), with just three minutes separating them. The initial quake, measuring 2.9 on the Richter scale, reverberated through the southeastern region of Hondón de los Frailes at approximately 11:45pm at a depth of 0 km, with an intensity rating of III, according to IGN data.

Although residents in the municipalities of Crevillent, Aspe, Elche, Novelda, and Monforte del Cid reported feeling the tremor, no reports of damage were confirmed. The Emergency Coordination Centre of the Generalitat also said that no related emergency calls were received at the 112 call centre.

A third earthquake was documented in Crevillent just three minutes later, at 11:48pm. This one registered a magnitude of 2.0 on the Richter scale and affected the western parts of the municipality, also occurring at a depth of 0 km.

On Monday morning (September 4^th) at 10:57am, another earthquake was logged in the municipality of Santa Pola. It measured 1.8 on the Richter scale, at a depth of 15km. Once again, no significant damage was reported in the aftermath of this event.

Meanwhile, the Red Cross in the Valencian Community has been actively assisting the public affected by the DANA. In a tweet, they revealed, "The teams of @CruzRojaESP in the #ComunidadValenciana attended to a total of 216 people who sought shelter from the heavy rains in municipal shelters set up in the province of Alicante and Valencia during the DANA."

In the Murta Valley, the Avamet weather station recorded the fifth-highest accumulation of rain in the past decade. According to the Valencian Meteorological Association, an impressive cumulative total of 175 millimetres of rain fell within an 11-hour period in the region.