From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The 1908 Messina earthquake (also known as the 1908 Messina and Reggio earthquake) occurred on December 28 in Sicily and Calabria, southern Italy with a moment magnitude of 7.1 and a maximum Mercalli Intensity of XI (Extreme).oments after the earthquake, a 12-meter (39-foot) tsunami struck nearby coasts, causing even more devastation; 91% of structures in Messina were destroyed, and some 70,000 residents were killed.