M4.4 Earthquake near Willits, CA — 13 January 2026
A light earthquake of magnitude 4.4 was recorded near Willits, CA on , with an epicentre 9 km east-southeast of Willits, at a focal depth of 7.8 km.
Time (UTC): 2026-01-13 21:10:54
Time (your timezone): —
Magnitude: 4.4 (light)
Focal depth: 7.8 km (shallow)
Epicentre: 39.3910, -123.2480
Location: 9 km ESE of Willits, CA
USGS link to NOAA tsunami information: Available
Review status: Reviewed
Source: USGS event page
How strong was this earthquake?
Light earthquakes are widely felt near the epicentre and can rattle windows, dishes and hanging objects. Damage is uncommon and usually limited to cracked plaster or fallen loose items.
A magnitude 4.4 earthquake radiates roughly 64 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.
The USGS assigns this earthquake a significance score of 463, 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.
Where was the epicentre?
The epicentre was located at 39.3910, -123.2480 — 9 km east-southeast of Willits. The closest other recorded event was a magnitude 0.7 earthquake 70 km south-southeast of here on 01 August 2026.
Why the 8 km depth matters
At 8 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 is often felt across the surrounding area. Its shallow focus makes stronger surface shaking more likely than for a deeper event of the same magnitude.
What does the tsunami information flag mean?
The USGS event record links to NOAA tsunami information because this was a large event in an oceanic region. That link flag does not mean a tsunami occurred or that a warning is active. Check tsunami.gov and instructions from your local authority for the current status of your coastline.
How earthquakes generate tsunamis, and what the alert levels mean →
Aftershocks and local seismic history
310 further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the seven days after this event, the largest of them magnitude 3.8.
31 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 5.6 event near Redwood Valley on 24 June 2026. This M4.4 event released about 57 times less energy than that event.
How long aftershock sequences last, and how large they get →
Where this event sits in the record
This earthquake is part of the January 2026 worldwide record. Browse the full monthly archive to compare periods.
Nearest recorded earthquakes to this epicentre
- M0.7 earthquake near Cobb, CA — (70 km SSE)
- M0.6 earthquake near The Geysers, CA — (71 km SSE)
- M0.8 earthquake near The Geysers, CA — (72 km SSE)
- M0.2 earthquake near The Geysers, CA — (73 km SSE)
- M1.0 earthquake near Cobb, CA — (73 km SSE)
- M0.8 earthquake near Cobb, CA — (73 km SSE)
- M0.8 earthquake near Cloverdale, CA — (73 km SSE)
- M1.1 earthquake near Cloverdale, CA — (73 km SSE)
- M1.1 earthquake near Cloverdale, CA — (73 km SSE)
- M1.0 earthquake near Cloverdale, CA — (73 km SSE)
Other magnitude 4 earthquakes worldwide
- M4.4 earthquake near El Arenal, Mexico —
- M4.3 earthquake near Puerto Madero, Mexico —
- M4.4 earthquake near Fiji region —
- M4.5 earthquake near Abepura, Indonesia —
- M4.6 earthquake near Honmachi, Japan —
- M4.2 earthquake near Banda Sea —
- M4.4 earthquake near Ollagüe, Chile —
- M4.4 earthquake near Severo-Kuril’sk, Russia —
Questions about this earthquake
How strong is a magnitude 4.4 earthquake?
Light earthquakes are widely felt near the epicentre and can rattle windows, dishes and hanging objects. Damage is uncommon and usually limited to cracked plaster or fallen loose items. A magnitude 4.4 earthquake radiates roughly 64 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.
How deep was the earthquake near Willits?
At 8 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.
Was the M4.4 earthquake near Willits felt?
This catalogue does not ingest eyewitness responses, so it cannot confirm where this earthquake was felt. Based on magnitude alone, an event this size is often felt across the surrounding area. Its shallow focus makes stronger surface shaking more likely than for a deeper event of the same magnitude.
What does the USGS tsunami field mean for this event?
The USGS event record links to NOAA tsunami information because this was a large event in an oceanic region. That link flag does not mean a tsunami occurred or that a warning is active. Check tsunami.gov and instructions from your local authority for the current status of your coastline.
Have there been aftershocks?
310 further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the seven days after this event, the largest of them magnitude 3.8.
How often do earthquakes happen near Willits?
31 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 5.6 event near Redwood Valley on 24 June 2026. This M4.4 event released about 57 times less energy than that event.