In the last year, 32 earthquakes have been recorded in the Vega Baja area, according to data collected by the National Geographic Institute.
The Vega Baja is a land of earthquakes. There have been hundreds of them throughout history, each one more devastating than the last. The most recent major earthquake that remains in the memory of those present is the one in Lorca, with its 5.1 degrees on the Richter scale. However, according to the National Geographic Institute, in the last year, in the area of the southernmost region of the province of Alicante, there have been 32 seismic phenomena. A record that gives good proof of how accustomed the inhabitants are to small tremors that rarely exceed 2 degrees of magnitude.
The latest major phenomenon occurred last Tuesday when there were four earthquakes that occurred during the night, all with their epicentre in the same area: the western shore of Laguna Rosa, between the municipalities of Torrevieja, Los Montesinos and San Miguel de Salinas, a seismic swarm which kept many in suspense that day.
Four earthquakes in a matter of hours shake the night in Torrevieja
Torrevieja is, of course, associated with the disastrous earthquake of 1829, measuring 6.6 on the Richter scale. It is, as far as we know, the most devastating earthquake ever recorded in the entire Vega Baja and in the entire province.
Although the epicentre is believed to have been in the area around Almoradí – it is still not known for sure – it was, however, named after the city of salt, since practically the entire town had to be rebuilt afterwards.
Hardly any house was left standing after the earthquake. That fateful day was so engraved in the memory of the people of Torrevieja that today, so many years later, the City Council continues to organise conferences on geology and emergencies, as well as large-scale drills to mark the anniversary of this event every 21st of March.
