Earthquakes and landslides in Spain: how real is the risk?

Key rules

• Risk level: Earthquake risk is moderate, highest in the southeast and Betic ranges, and landslide risk is local to steep ground.
• Insurance: Standard home insurance usually excludes earthquakes, so check that your policy includes the Consorcio cover.
• Emergency: Call 112 in an emergency and do not use lifts during or after a quake.
• Your town: Check your own municipality on the IGN hazard map, because hazard varies town by town.

How real is the earthquake risk?

The risk is moderate, and it is concentrated in the southeast and the Betic ranges. Most of the interior and the north-centre is much calmer. Serious damage is rare, but it does happen: the 2011 Lorca quake (magnitude 5.1) killed 9 people.

Spain's national seismic monitor, the IGN, records several thousand quakes a year in Spain and nearby waters. You will feel only a small share of them, typically 50 to 100 a year, mostly magnitude 3 to 4.5. Quakes above magnitude 5 come every few years, often offshore or in the Canaries.

Where the hazard is highest

• Highest: the Murcia region (Lorca, Murcia city, Vega Baja), the south of Alicante province, Almería, Granada and the Betic ranges, plus the Alborán Sea.
• Secondary: the Pyrenees (Navarra, Huesca, Girona), with minor activity in Galicia.

Hazard varies town by town, so look up your own municipality on the IGN hazard map rather than relying on the province.

Building rules protect newer homes

A mandatory seismic building standard applies to new buildings and to major reforms or reinforcements, in the public and private sector. It sets stricter design for more important buildings. It does not apply where the expected ground shaking is very low, or to low, well-braced buildings of normal importance in moderate zones. Older houses were built before it, so they may not meet it. If you buy a new build or plan a big renovation, ask your architect or builder which standard applies. A replacement standard has been in preparation, so ask which version is in force.

Landslides and rockfall are local

Landslides are a problem of specific slopes, not whole regions. Susceptibility is highest on steep, mountainous or cliff terrain:

• the Pyrenees and Cantabrian mountains (Asturias, Cantabria, Basque Country)
• Galicia's steep slopes
• Sierra de Tramuntana in Mallorca
• the Betic ranges, including Granada, Málaga and the Almería coast
• the Canary Islands, especially Tenerife, La Palma and Gran Canaria
• clay and marl areas in the Guadalquivir basin, and coastal cliffs

Heavy rain, earthquakes and cuts made into slopes are the usual triggers. Before you rent or buy near a slope, cliff or mountain road, ask the town hall for local hazard maps and look at the ground above and below the property.

Insurance

Standard home insurance generally excludes earthquakes and landslides. The Consorcio de Compensación de Seguros covers extraordinary events, including earthquakes, when your home policy includes its surcharge and your premiums are paid. A new policy usually has a one-month waiting period. Landslides are covered only when an extraordinary event causes them, such as a major flood or quake. Ordinary subsidence, settling and building defects are not covered. You file claims with the Consorcio.

What to do during and after a quake

• Stay calm and do not run outside.
• Indoors, take cover under a sturdy table or beside an interior wall or load-bearing column, away from windows and glass.
• Do not use lifts.
• Outdoors, move to open ground away from buildings, cables and walls. In a car, stop away from bridges and buildings.
• Afterwards, expect aftershocks, check for injuries, and turn off gas, water and electricity if anything is damaged.
• Leave damaged buildings carefully, wearing shoes.
• Use SMS instead of calls, keep roads free, and follow instructions from Protección Civil and 112. Stay away from the coast if a tsunami warning is issued.

Follow quakes in real time

The IGN lists new earthquakes within minutes on its website and app, with magnitude, depth and location. You can also report a quake you felt through its felt-report form. The checklist below covers the setup steps.

Checklist

• Look up your municipality on the IGN hazard map to see its seismic hazard, which is highest in the southeast (Murcia, south Alicante, Almería, Granada) and moderate in the Pyrenees.

• Install the IGN earthquake app and bookmark its latest-earthquakes list so you can see magnitude, depth and location within minutes.

• Save 112 in your phone and agree with your household where to take cover: under a sturdy table or beside an interior wall, away from windows.

• Learn how to turn off gas, water and electricity at home, so you can do it after a quake if anything is damaged.

What to watch out for

• Assuming your home insurance covers earthquakes: Standard home insurance generally excludes earthquakes and landslides, so you could be left with the repair bill. Check that your policy includes the Consorcio surcharge and that premiums are paid. A new policy usually has a 1 month waiting period.

• Expecting cover for slow ground movement: The Consorcio pays for landslides only when an extraordinary event such as heavy flooding or an earthquake causes them. Ordinary subsidence, settling and building defects are excluded. Ask your insurer in writing what ground movement your policy covers before you buy.

• Buying on a steep slope or under a cliff: Rockfall and landslides are local risks in mountains, coastal cliffs and islands, and heavy rain, quakes and slope cuts can trigger them. A regional map cannot tell you about one plot. Ask the town hall for its local risk maps and consider a geotechnical survey before buying.

• Running outside or using the lift in a quake: Falling glass and masonry outside, and stuck lifts inside, cause injuries during shaking. Stay calm, take cover under a sturdy table or by an interior wall, and use stairs afterwards. Text instead of calling, and follow 112 instructions.

Frequently asked questions

Does my home insurance cover earthquake damage in Spain?

Standard home insurance generally excludes earthquakes, but the Consorcio de Compensación de Seguros, a state body for extraordinary risks, covers earthquake damage if your policy was in force with premiums paid. The cover comes through the Consorcio surcharge on your policy. Claims go to the Consorcio itself.

How many earthquakes do people actually feel in Spain each year?

People typically feel around 50 to 100 earthquakes a year in Spain, mostly magnitude 3 to 4.5. Earthquakes above magnitude 5 are rare, coming a few years apart and often offshore. Damaging ones are infrequent; Lorca in 2011 (magnitude 5.1) is the most notable recent case.

Do the seismic building rules apply to my older house?

No, the seismic building standard applies to new buildings and to reforms or reinforcements, not to existing ones unless they are being reformed. It also does not apply where the expected ground shaking is very low. If you plan a major reform, ask your architect which level applies in your municipality.