DisasterAtlasUSA

This is a record of past federal disaster declarations, not a forecast. Federal assistance figures are aid obligated under specific programs, not total damages. For current threats, check the National Weather Service and FEMA.

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U.S. Earthquake History

The USGS catalogue lists 8,898 earthquakes of magnitude 4.5 or greater in the United States and its territories since April 30, 1900. The strongest on record was M 9.2.

Separate from the federal disaster declarations elsewhere on this site: this is the raw seismic record, not a list of events that drew federal aid.

Strongest on record

M 9.2 · The 1964 Prince William Sound, Alaska EarthquakeMarch 28, 1964M 8.6 · The 1946 Unimak Island, Alaska EarthquakeApril 1, 1946M 8.2 · 1938 Semidi Islands, Alaska EarthquakeNovember 10, 1938M 8.2 · 2021 Chignik, Alaska EarthquakeJuly 29, 2021M 7.9 · 261 km SE of Chiniak, AlaskaJanuary 23, 2018M 7.9 · 2002 Denali Fault, Alaska EarthquakeNovember 3, 2002M 7.9 · 200 km WSW of Yakutat, AlaskaNovember 30, 1987M 7.9 · The 1906 San Francisco, California EarthquakeApril 18, 1906M 7.9 · Kodiak Island region, AlaskaOctober 9, 1900M 7.8 · 2020 Perryville, Alaska EarthquakeJuly 22, 2020M 7.8 · Gulf of AlaskaMarch 6, 1988M 7.8 · 81 km E of Nikolski, AlaskaJuly 2, 1965M 7.8 · 22 km W of Elfin Cove, AlaskaJuly 10, 1958M 7.8 · 234 km SSW of Nikolski, AlaskaMarch 7, 1929M 7.7 · 17 km SSW of Leilani Estates, HawaiiNovember 29, 1975

States that shake most

Alaska5,198 · max M 9.2California1,665 · max M 7.9Oregon659 · max M 7.0Nevada351 · max M 7.1Hawaii265 · max M 7.7Puerto Rico169 · max M 7.7Washington144 · max M 6.8Colorado80 · max M 6.7Montana58 · max M 7.2Utah49 · max M 6.6Idaho47 · max M 6.9Wyoming38 · max M 6.3Texas25 · max M 5.8New Mexico25 · max M 5.8Oklahoma16 · max M 5.8Arizona15 · max M 6.2Illinois13 · max M 5.3Missouri10 · max M 4.8Maine7 · max M 5.7Arkansas6 · max M 4.8New York6 · max M 5.7Ohio6 · max M 5.4Louisiana4 · max M 5.3Virginia4 · max M 5.8Kentucky4 · max M 5.0Alabama4 · max M 5.1Pennsylvania3 · max M 4.6Tennessee3 · max M 4.7Indiana3 · max M 5.1New Hampshire3 · max M 5.6Kansas3 · max M 4.9South Carolina2 · max M 4.8Nebraska2 · max M 5.1North Carolina2 · max M 5.2Mississippi1 · max M 4.6West Virginia1 · max M 4.5Maryland1 · max M 4.6New Jersey1 · max M 4.8Minnesota1 · max M 4.6Massachusetts1 · max M 4.8South Dakota1 · max M 4.5Georgia1 · max M 4.5Michigan1 · max M 4.5

Most recent (M5+)

M 5.2 · 78 km SSW of Nikolski, AlaskaSeptember 2, 2026M 5.2 · 95 km SSW of Nikolski, AlaskaSeptember 2, 2026M 5.3 · 89 km SSW of Nikolski, AlaskaSeptember 1, 2026M 5.2 · 42 km ESE of Naalehu, HawaiiAugust 12, 2026M 5.6 · 57 km WNW of Skwentna, AlaskaAugust 8, 2026M 5.0 · 52 km E of Denali National Park, AlaskaJuly 28, 2026M 5.0 · 38 km SSE of Spearman, TexasJuly 23, 2026M 5.2 · 122 km SE of McCarthy, AlaskaJuly 16, 2026M 5.4 · 93 km SE of False Pass, AlaskaJuly 14, 2026M 5.2 · 106 km SSE of False Pass, AlaskaJuly 14, 2026M 5.5 · 226 km W of Langlois, OregonJune 29, 2026M 5.3 · 35 km SSW of Cordova, AlaskaJune 29, 2026M 5.6 · 11 km N of Redwood Valley, CAJune 24, 2026M 5.0 · 83 km SSW of Unalaska, AlaskaJune 13, 2026M 5.1 · 62 km W of Petrolia, CAJune 3, 2026

Source: U.S. Geological Survey, Earthquake Hazards Program (ANSS Comprehensive Catalog). Coverage of smaller and older earthquakes is uneven — instruments and reporting have improved over time, so recent decades list far more events. This is a historical record, not a forecast.