Alabama · Earthquakes
Alabama earthquakes today and on record
Earthquakes are rare in Alabama, but not unknown. The USGS catalog lists 20 of magnitude 3.5 or more since 1900, the largest a magnitude 5.1 in 1916. Below: every quake in the state this week, a map, and the biggest since 1900.
Updated . Data: U.S. Geological Survey.
- Last 24 hours
- 0
- Past 7 days
- 0
- Most recent
- None this week
- Largest on record
- M5.1 (1916)
- M3.5+ since 1900
- 20
- M5+ since 1900
- 1
Earthquakes in Alabama this week
No earthquakes recorded in this period.
That is normal here. Many years pass without a quake big enough to feel.
Biggest earthquakes in Alabama since 1900
| Mag | Where | Date | Depth |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5.1 | Near Irondale, Alabama | Oct 18, 1916 | 14 km |
| 4.8 | 15 km NNW of Flomaton, Alabama | Oct 24, 1997 | 10 km |
| 4.6 | 8 km S of Valley Head, Alabama | Apr 29, 2003 | 20 km |
| 4.5 | 3 km NNW of Fayette, Alabama | Jun 24, 1975 | 10 km |
| 4.3 | 4 km W of Forkland, Alabama | Nov 7, 2004 | 5 km |
| 4.1 | 5 km SSE of Trafford, Alabama | Apr 23, 1957 | 5 km |
| 4.0 | 0 km S of Clay, Alabama | May 5, 1931 | 0 km |
| 3.9 | 4 km E of East Florence, Alabama | Aug 20, 1989 | 7 km |
| 3.9 | 5 km SW of Pleasant Groves, Alabama | Dec 8, 2001 | 0 km |
| 3.8 | 6 km NNE of Huntsville, Alabama | Aug 12, 1959 | 5 km |
| 3.8 | 7 km WSW of Union, Alabama | Nov 20, 2014 | 0 km |
| 3.8 | 1 km W of Pollard, Alabama | Sep 3, 2020 | 4 km |
Quakes of magnitude 3.5+ by decade
Older decades look quieter partly because there were far fewer seismometers. Counts before about 1970 are incomplete.
Good to know
When was the last earthquake in Alabama?
None of magnitude 2.5 or more in the past week. The most recent of magnitude 3.5 or more in the long-term catalog was in 2020.
What was the biggest earthquake in Alabama?
A magnitude 5.1 near Near Irondale, Alabama on October 18, 1916, the largest in the USGS catalog for the state since 1900.
Does Alabama get earthquakes?
Earthquakes are rare in Alabama, but not unknown. The USGS catalog lists 20 of magnitude 3.5 or more since 1900, the largest a magnitude 5.1 in 1916. The USGS national hazard map is the best guide to the chance of strong shaking where you live.
Also in Alabama
Alabama tornado history · Earthquakes today, nationwide · Did I just feel an earthquake?
Other states
History: USGS earthquake catalog, magnitude 3.5 and up since 1900, matched to the state by location (quakes just offshore count for the nearest state). Live: USGS real-time feeds.