Kentucky · Earthquakes
Kentucky earthquakes today and on record
Earthquakes are rare in Kentucky, but not unknown. The USGS catalog lists 23 of magnitude 3.5 or more since 1900, the largest a magnitude 5.0 in 1980. 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
- M5.0 (1980)
- M3.5+ since 1900
- 23
- M5+ since 1900
- 1
Earthquakes in Kentucky 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 Kentucky since 1900
| Mag | Where | Date | Depth |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5.0 | 2 km SW of Sharpsburg, Kentucky | Jul 27, 1980 | 10 km |
| 4.6 | New Madrid, Missouri region | Nov 4, 1903 | 0 km |
| 4.6 | Near Clinton, Kentucky | Dec 7, 1915 | 0 km |
| 4.6 | Kentucky | Sep 2, 1925 | 0 km |
| 4.6 | 6 km W of Owingsville, Kentucky | Sep 7, 1988 | 10 km |
| 4.4 | 8 km NNE of Camargo, Kentucky | Sep 7, 1988 | 5 km |
| 4.3 | New Madrid, Missouri region | Nov 27, 1903 | 0 km |
| 4.3 | 1 km ESE of Middlesboro, Kentucky | Jan 2, 1954 | 0 km |
| 4.2 | 6 km W of Blackey, Kentucky | Nov 10, 2012 | 17 km |
| 4.0 | 5 km NNE of Artemus, Kentucky | Jan 19, 1976 | 5 km |
| 4.0 | 9 km NNW of Loyall, Kentucky | Aug 17, 1990 | 1 km |
| 4.0 | 1 km NE of Bardwell, Kentucky | Jun 6, 2003 | 3 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 Kentucky?
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 2017.
What was the biggest earthquake in Kentucky?
A magnitude 5.0 near Sharpsburg, Kentucky on July 27, 1980, the largest in the USGS catalog for the state since 1900.
Does Kentucky get earthquakes?
Earthquakes are rare in Kentucky, but not unknown. The USGS catalog lists 23 of magnitude 3.5 or more since 1900, the largest a magnitude 5.0 in 1980. The USGS national hazard map is the best guide to the chance of strong shaking where you live.
Also in Kentucky
Kentucky 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.