M4.8 Earthquake near Crescent City, CA — 09 May 2026
A light earthquake of magnitude 4.8 was recorded near Crescent City, CA on , with an epicentre 108 km west-southwest of Crescent City, at a focal depth of 2.5 km.
Time (UTC): 2026-05-09 04:57:58
Time (your timezone): —
Magnitude: 4.8 (light)
Focal depth: 2.5 km (shallow)
Epicentre: 41.4917, -125.4550
Location: 108 km WSW of Crescent City, CA
USGS link to NOAA tsunami information: Not linked
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 4.8 earthquake radiates roughly 274 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.
The USGS assigns this earthquake a significance score of 366, 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 41.4917, -125.4550 — 108 km west-southwest of Crescent City. The closest other recorded event was a magnitude 0.7 earthquake 95 km east-northeast of here on 10 July 2026.
Why the 2 km depth matters
At 2 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 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 M4.8 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
12 further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the seven days after this event, the largest of them magnitude 3.0.
40 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 5.9 event near Bandon on 26 September 2025. This M4.8 event released about 39 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 May 2026 worldwide record. Browse the full monthly archive to compare periods.
Nearest recorded earthquakes to this epicentre
- M0.7 earthquake near Brookings, Oregon — (95 km ENE)
- M2.6 earthquake near Pistol River, Oregon — (115 km WNW)
- M0.2 earthquake near Pistol River, Oregon — (125 km NE)
- M2.3 earthquake near Petrolia, CA — (126 km SSW)
- M2.8 earthquake near Petrolia, CA — (130 km SSW)
- M2.3 earthquake near Eureka, CA — (130 km SE)
- M2.8 earthquake near Port Orford, Oregon — (131 km NW)
- M2.5 earthquake near Petrolia, CA — (131 km S)
- M2.8 earthquake near Petrolia, CA — (132 km SSE)
- M2.5 earthquake near Petrolia, CA — (133 km SSE)
Other magnitude 4 earthquakes worldwide
- M4.9 earthquake near Atka, Alaska —
- M4.6 earthquake near Honmachi, Japan —
- M5.1 earthquake near south of the Fiji Islands —
- M4.9 earthquake near Matsubase, Japan —
- M5.1 earthquake near Tristan da Cunha region —
- M5.1 earthquake near Tristan da Cunha region —
- M5.1 earthquake near south of the Fiji Islands —
- M4.6 earthquake near Daliao, Philippines —
Questions about this earthquake
How strong is a magnitude 4.8 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 4.8 earthquake radiates roughly 274 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.
How deep was the earthquake near Crescent City?
At 2 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 M4.8 earthquake near Crescent City 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 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 M4.8 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.
Have there been aftershocks?
12 further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the seven days after this event, the largest of them magnitude 3.0.
How often do earthquakes happen near Crescent City?
40 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 5.9 event near Bandon on 26 September 2025. This M4.8 event released about 39 times less energy than that event.