M4.9 Earthquake near Port McNeill, Canada — 25 December 2024
A light earthquake of magnitude 4.9 was recorded near Port McNeill, Canada on , with an epicentre 254 km west of Port McNeill, at a focal depth of 10.0 km.
Time (UTC): 2024-12-25 21:39:27
Time (your timezone): —
Magnitude: 4.9 (light)
Focal depth: 10.0 km (shallow)
Epicentre: 50.5227, -130.6750
Location: 254 km W of Port McNeill, Canada
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 4.9 earthquake radiates roughly 338 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.
The USGS assigns this earthquake a significance score of 371, 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 50.5227, -130.6750 — 254 km west of Port McNeill. The closest other recorded event was a magnitude 5.3 earthquake 43 km east of here on 25 February 2025.
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 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
1 further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the seven days after this event, the largest of them magnitude 5.0.
12 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 Port McNeill on 20 July 2026. This M4.9 event released about 11 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 December 2024 worldwide record. Browse the full monthly archive to compare periods.
Nearest recorded earthquakes to this epicentre
- M5.3 earthquake near Port McNeill, Canada — (43 km E)
- M4.2 earthquake near Port McNeill, Canada — (43 km ENE)
- M4.0 earthquake near Port McNeill, Canada — (44 km E)
- M5.2 earthquake near Port McNeill, Canada — (45 km ESE)
- M4.0 earthquake near Port McNeill, Canada — (50 km ENE)
- M5.0 earthquake near Port McNeill, Canada — (67 km ENE)
- M4.0 earthquake near Port McNeill, Canada — (107 km N)
- M4.4 earthquake near Port McNeill, Canada — (119 km NNW)
- M5.6 earthquake near Port McNeill, Canada — (136 km SE)
- M4.4 earthquake near Port McNeill, Canada — (147 km SE)
Other magnitude 4 earthquakes worldwide
- M5.2 earthquake near Severo-Kuril’sk, Russia —
- M5.2 earthquake near Tsunō, 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 —
- M4.8 earthquake near Te Anau, New Zealand —
Questions about this earthquake
How strong is a magnitude 4.9 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 4.9 earthquake radiates roughly 338 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.
How deep was the earthquake near Port McNeill?
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.
Was the M4.9 earthquake near Port McNeill 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?
1 further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the seven days after this event, the largest of them magnitude 5.0.
How often do earthquakes happen near Port McNeill?
12 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 Port McNeill on 20 July 2026. This M4.9 event released about 11 times less energy than that event.