Every recorded earthquake within 30 km
Earthquakes near Lancaster, NY
No earthquake was likely felt in Lancaster in the 24 hours to 6:58 am EST (11:58 UTC). The last one was M 4.1, 187 km (116 mi) N, at 10:59 pm EST on 27 January 2026, estimated intensity III (weak) in town; 687 felt reports to USGS.
M 3.8
Latest: 6:15 am EST on 6 February 2023 · 10 km (6 mi) WSW of Lancaster, NY
The most recent earthquake of M2.5 or more near Lancaster was M 3.8, 10 km (6 mi) WSW of Lancaster, NY, at 6:15 am EST on 6 February 2023, 6 km deep. 7,849 people reported feeling it to USGS. The estimated shaking in Lancaster was intensity IV (light), felt indoors by most people; dishes and windows rattle. 1 smaller earthquake has been recorded near Lancaster since; the newest is first in the list below.
No earthquake of M1.5 or more was recorded within 30 km (19 mi) of Lancaster in the last 24 hours.
- Last 24 hours
- 0
- Last 7 days
- 0
- Last 30 days
- 0 · since 2016, about one every 4 years
- Last 12 months
- 0
- Since 2016
- 3 earthquakes of M1.5 or more within 30 km
- Largest since 2016
- M 3.8 on 6 February 2023, 10 km (6 mi) WSW of Lancaster, NY
- Reported felt
- 3 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)
- New York earthquakes today — every one in the state in the last 24 hours
- Earthquakes in New York — 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 Lancaster, NY
Get a notification in this browser when USGS records an earthquake near Lancaster, NY. 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 3
- 1.5 3 km (2 mi) NW of Lancaster, NY · felt by 1
- 3.8 10 km (6 mi) WSW of Lancaster, NY · felt by 7,849
- 2.3 24 km (15 mi) SW of Lancaster, NY · felt by 190
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 Lancaster time. Distances are from the town centre. Quakes USGS named after Lancaster are listed even when they are further out.
Show these earthquakes on your own site: a free card with the latest quakes near Lancaster, for a local news site, school or neighborhood page.
On the map
The white circle is Lancaster; dots are the 3 most recent earthquakes within 30 km. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Estimated shaking in Lancaster
The strongest shaking in Lancaster from a quake since 2016 is estimated at intensity IV (light), from the M 3.8 on 6 February 2023, 10 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 Lancaster (est.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| M 3.8 | 10 km | IV · Light · felt by 7,849 | |
| M 2.3 | 24 km | II · Weak · felt by 190 | |
| M 1.5 | 3 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. 2 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 Lancaster.
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.