M2.7 Earthquake near Temecula, United States — 05 September 2026
A minor earthquake of magnitude 2.7 was recorded near Temecula, United States on , with an epicentre 4 km northeast of Temecula, at a focal depth of 10.4 km. It ranked as the 631st strongest of 8023 earthquakes recorded in the United States in the preceding 30 days.
Time (UTC): 2026-09-05 10:31:43
Time (your timezone): —
Magnitude: 2.7 (minor)
Focal depth: 10.4 km (shallow)
Epicentre: 33.5150, -117.1140
Location: 4 km NE of Temecula, CA
Country: United States
USGS link to NOAA tsunami information: Not linked
Review status: Automatic
Source: USGS event page
How strong was this earthquake?
Minor earthquakes in this range are felt by people close to the epicentre as a brief jolt or rattle, but they very rarely cause any damage.
A magnitude 2.7 earthquake radiates roughly 175 kg of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.
The USGS assigns this earthquake a significance score of 131, which is below the USGS threshold of more than 600 for its significant-earthquake list. The ranking combines magnitude with available Did You Feel It responses and PAGER alert level; it is not a direct measurement of damage.
What the magnitude scale actually measures →
When it happened locally
That is about 02:43 local solar time at the epicentre, in the early hours of the morning.
This event was deeper than 71% of the 153,766 earthquakes recorded in the United States in our catalogue and stronger than 95% of them.
Where was the epicentre?
The epicentre was located at 33.5150, -117.1140 — 4 km northeast of Temecula. The closest other recorded event was a magnitude 0.8 earthquake 22 km east-southeast of here on 03 September 2026.
The nearest other settlements in our records are Aguanga (20 km southeast), Adelanto (118 km north-northwest), Acton (138 km northwest) and Agua Dulce (150 km northwest).
Why the 10 km depth matters
At 10 km this was a shallow earthquake. Shallow events release their energy close to the surface, so for a given magnitude they produce noticeably stronger shaking — and more damage — than deeper ones. Roughly three quarters of all earthquakes worldwide occur at shallow depths.
This catalogue does not ingest eyewitness responses, so it cannot confirm where this earthquake was felt. Based on magnitude alone, an event this size may be noticed locally, especially close to the epicentre. Its shallow focus makes stronger surface shaking more likely than for a deeper event of the same magnitude.
Read more on how focal depth changes what you feel →
What does the tsunami information flag mean?
The USGS record does not carry a link to NOAA tsunami information. That field is not an all-clear and does not state whether a tsunami occurred. In this case, a damaging tsunami would be less likely because at M2.7 it falls below the magnitude 6.5 threshold that generally applies before a submarine earthquake displaces enough water to generate a damaging tsunami; it occurred inland rather than beneath the sea floor. For an active coastal alert, use tsunami.gov or your local warning authority.
How earthquakes generate tsunamis, and what the alert levels mean →
Aftershocks and local seismic history
1 further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre since this event was recorded, the largest of them magnitude 1.2.
24 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 6.0 event near San Diego Country Estates on 14 April 2025. This M2.7 event released about 86,099 times less energy than that event.
8726 earthquakes have been recorded within 100 km of this epicentre in the past year, 889 of them in the past 30 days.
How long aftershock sequences last, and how large they get →
Where this event sits in the record
This earthquake is part of the September 2026 worldwide record, and of earthquakes in the United States during September 2026. Browse the full monthly archive to compare periods.
Nearest recorded earthquakes to this epicentre
- M0.8 earthquake near Aguanga, United States — (22 km ESE)
- M0.4 earthquake near Anza, United States — (29 km ENE)
- M-0.0 earthquake near Anza, United States — (30 km ENE)
- M1.2 earthquake near Lake Elsinore, United States — (31 km NW)
- M0.8 earthquake near Palomar Observatory, United States — (31 km SE)
- M0.1 earthquake near Valle Vista, United States — (34 km NE)
- M0.4 earthquake near Valle Vista, United States — (34 km NE)
- M0.8 earthquake near Idyllwild, United States — (35 km ENE)
- M0.5 earthquake near Idyllwild, United States — (36 km ENE)
- M0.3 earthquake near Warner Springs, United States — (42 km ESE)
Other recent earthquakes in the United States
- M2.6 earthquake near Kaktovik, United States —
- M1.2 earthquake near Yucca Valley, United States —
- M1.4 earthquake near Toyah, United States —
- M2.6 earthquake near Cantwell, United States —
- M1.7 earthquake near Redwood Valley, United States —
- M1.3 earthquake near San Juan Bautista, United States —
- M0.5 earthquake near Cobb, United States —
- M1.9 earthquake near Pinnacles, United States —
- M0.9 earthquake near The Geysers, United States —
- M2.1 earthquake near Tonopah, United States —
Other magnitude 2 earthquakes worldwide
- M2.6 earthquake near Kaktovik, United States —
- M2.6 earthquake near Cantwell, United States —
- M2.7 earthquake near Pāhala, United States —
- M2.7 earthquake near Puerto, Chile —
- M2.7 earthquake near Whites City, United States —
- M2.6 earthquake near Guánica, Puerto Rico —
- M2.9 earthquake near Yachats, United States —
- M2.7 earthquake near Sabana Grande, Puerto Rico —
Questions about this earthquake
How strong was the earthquake near Temecula?
It measured magnitude 2.7 — a minor earthquake. A magnitude 2.7 earthquake radiates roughly 175 kg of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.
How deep was the earthquake near Temecula?
The focus was 10 km below the surface, which counts as shallow.
Was the Temecula earthquake felt at the surface?
At magnitude 2.7 and a focal depth of 10 km, shaking would have been concentrated near the epicentre.
When did the earthquake near Temecula happen?
05 September 2026 at 10:31 UTC.
Was there a tsunami?
No. The USGS record carries no tsunami-information link for this event.
Have there been aftershocks?
1 further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre since this event was recorded, the largest of them magnitude 1.2.
How often do earthquakes happen near Temecula?
24 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 6.0 event near San Diego Country Estates on 14 April 2025. This M2.7 event released about 86,099 times less energy than that event.