Every recorded earthquake within 30 km
Earthquakes near Sheffield, AL
No earthquake was likely felt in Sheffield in the 24 hours to 10:44 am CST (16:44 UTC). The last one was M 4.0, 240 km (149 mi) NW, at 12:59 pm CDT on 23 April 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 913 felt reports to USGS.
M 2.8
Latest: 4:29 am CDT on 6 July 2018 · 3 km (2 mi) SE of Sheffield, AL
The most recent earthquake of M2.5 or more near Sheffield was M 2.8, 3 km (2 mi) SE of Sheffield, AL, at 4:29 am CDT on 6 July 2018, 8 km deep. 5 people reported feeling it to USGS. The estimated shaking in Sheffield was intensity III (weak), felt by some people at rest indoors. 2 smaller earthquakes have been recorded near Sheffield since; the newest is first in the list below.
No earthquake of M1.5 or more was recorded within 30 km (19 mi) of Sheffield in the last 24 hours.
- Last 24 hours
- 0
- Last 7 days
- 0
- Last 30 days
- 0 · since 2016, about one every 3 years
- Last 12 months
- 0
- Since 2016
- 4 earthquakes of M1.5 or more within 30 km
- Largest since 2016
- M 2.8 on 6 July 2018, 3 km (2 mi) SE of Sheffield, AL
- Reported felt
- 4 of them have felt reports to USGS
USGS · feed checked · newest earthquake in our database · this page · counts are earthquakes of M1.5 or more within 30 km (19 mi) of the town centre; shaking is estimated for the town centre with the intensity equation USGS Did You Feel It? uses
If you felt one
- Was that an earthquake? — checks what was recorded near you in the last hour
- Report what you felt to USGS — reports go to USGS, not to us, and they are what produces the intensity maps
- Expect aftershocks, and be ready to Drop, Cover, and Hold On if you feel one; if you are in a damaged building, go outside and move away from it (Ready.gov, FEMA; what to do during and after an earthquake)
- Earthquakes in Alabama — with the state's activity score
QuakeIndex does not issue warnings or forecasts. For earthquake early warning see ShakeAlert and the MyShake app.
Earthquake alerts for Sheffield, AL
Get a notification in this browser when USGS records an earthquake near Sheffield, AL. No account or email needed.
Alerts are on for .
Not a warning. An alert comes after USGS publishes a quake, usually minutes after the shaking. For early warning use ShakeAlert, through your phone's Wireless Emergency Alerts or the MyShake app.
The last 30 days
The latest 4
- 2.3 15 km (10 mi) E of Sheffield, AL · felt by 6
- 1.7 17 km (11 mi) N of Sheffield, AL · felt by 1
- 2.8 3 km (2 mi) SE of Sheffield, AL · felt by 5
- 2.3 6 km (3 mi) NW of Sheffield, AL · felt by 30
From the QuakeIndex database, which reads the USGS feed every 30 seconds and holds the USGS catalogue for the US from 2016 (M1.5+). Times are Sheffield time. Distances are from the town centre. Quakes USGS named after Sheffield are listed even when they are further out.
Show these earthquakes on your own site: a free card with the latest quakes near Sheffield, for a local news site, school or neighborhood page.
On the map
The white circle is Sheffield; dots are the 4 most recent earthquakes within 30 km. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Estimated shaking in Sheffield
The strongest shaking in Sheffield from a quake since 2016 is estimated at intensity III (weak), from the M 2.8 on 6 July 2018, 3 km away. Intensity II and III are felt by some people at rest indoors; IV by most people indoors; V and above wakes sleepers and moves objects.
| Magnitude | When | Distance | Shaking in Sheffield (est.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| M 2.8 | 3 km | III · Weak · felt by 5 | |
| M 2.3 | 6 km | III · Weak · felt by 30 | |
| M 2.3 | 15 km | II · Weak · felt by 6 | |
| M 1.7 | 17 km | II · Weak · felt by 1 |
An estimate for the town centre from magnitude, depth and distance, with the intensity equation USGS Did You Feel It? uses (Atkinson & Wald, 2007), on the Modified Mercalli scale. 3 of these reach intensity II or more in town, where people at rest start to notice. Ground conditions change it street by street. It describes the past, not a hazard.
Before 2016
The USGS record since 1900 lists no earthquake of M5 or more within 50 km of Sheffield.
USGS ComCat, M5+ from 1900 to 2015. This is the record, not a forecast.
Be ready
Earthquakes cannot be predicted, here or anywhere, so the useful step is the one taken beforehand. The advice below is from the agencies responsible for it.
- Ready.gov: earthquakes (FEMA) — what to do before, during and after, including Drop, Cover, and Hold On
- Build a kit (FEMA) — water, food and supplies for several days; our summary
- USGS: preparedness — the hazard behind the advice, from the agency that records every quake on this page
- The Great ShakeOut — the yearly earthquake drill, with material for homes, schools and workplaces
QuakeIndex does not issue warnings or forecasts. For earthquake early warning see ShakeAlert and the MyShake app.