More than a dozen US military members displaced by recent Naples-area earthquake

NAPLES, Italy — More than a dozen members of the U.S. military community in Naples have been put out of their homes by a damaging earthquake that struck the region last week.

As of Tuesday, 16 active-duty service members and Defense Department civilians had reported damage to their off-base residences resulting from a magnitude 4.7 earthquake Friday.

Of those, 14 are displaced and 15 homes require structural assessments, the base said in a statement Tuesday.

“The safety and well-being of our service members, civilian employees, and families remain our highest priority,” officials said.

NSA Naples is offering affected personnel Housing Service Center resources, legal assistance and temporary lodging assistance, the statement added.

A crushed car under rocks that fell from a ridge near the Solfatara volcanic crater in Naples Italy, Aug. 1, 2026. At least 14 military and civilian personnel assigned to Naval Support Activity Naples have been displaced by the magnitude 4.7 earthquake, which struck the area Friday. (Alessandro Garofalo/LaPresse via AP)

Inspections of damaged homes are initiated by landlords in coordination with local civil authorities.

Once local authorities determine whether a residence is habitable, housing personnel work directly with affected residents to determine appropriate next steps and coordinate support, according to the statement.

Eligible active-duty service members and their families whose homes are determined to be uninhabitable may be authorized emergency temporary lodging allowance.

Likewise, civilian personnel may be eligible for extraordinary quarters allowance if they must vacate their home due to failed inspection or command directive, according to the statement.

On Wednesday, the base remained mission-capable with no damage identified to government facilities and no reported injuries among assigned service members, civilian employees or family members, the Navy said.

It wasn’t clear where the homes of quake-affected service members and civilians are located, but hundreds of U.S. military personnel live in the Naples commune of Pozzuoli, which is in the volcanically active Campi Flegrei area.

The quake struck at 7:46 p.m. and the epicenter was in Campi Flegrei, a network of craters and other volcanic structures mostly under the Bay of Naples.

It was the largest quake to shake the region in some 40 years and sent cliffside rocks and debris tumbling while building facades crumbled, among other damage.

The quake was followed by a series of aftershocks, including a magnitude 3.8 tremor a little more than two hours later.

In 2024, the Navy began requiring some service members and Defense Department civilians to sign a letter saying they understand the danger of living in areas of Naples deemed high-risk during a volcanic eruption or earthquake.

Those areas include Pozzuoli and the districts of Posillipo, Chiaia and Vomero, which are popular with the military community for their sea views and proximity to restaurants, bars and shopping.

The document offers an opportunity for personnel to become better-informed and more prepared before signing a lease, according to the statement.

“Eligibility for assistance is determined in accordance with defined procedures, not by signing the acknowledgment,” the base said.