QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.1md

Earthquake near Collins, MS

No earthquake was likely felt in Collins in the 24 hours to 6:20 am CST (12:20 UTC). The last one was M 4.9, 367 km (228 mi) W, at 5:30 am CST on 5 March 2026, estimated intensity III (weak) in town; 1,576 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Collins

This page: a magnitude 2.1 earthquake was recorded 4 km (2 mi) east-southeast of Collins, MS, at 1:33 am CST on 20 January 2021 (07:33 UTC), less than 1 km deep. 8 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 3 km ESE of Collins, Mississippi

100 km (62 mi) SE of Jackson, MS

1:33 am CST, Jan 20, 2021 · · 0.0 km deep · released about 49 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Covington County 3 kmJefferson Davis County 31 kmJones County 33 kmSmith County 42 kmSimpson County 48 kmLamar County 49 kmMarion County 54 kmForrest County 56 kmJasper County 56 km
Distance rings around the epicentre, with the nearest towns at their true direction and later quakes as coloured dots. Not a shaking map — see the USGS ShakeMap for that.
When
1:33 am CST on 20 January 2021 ()
Where
4 km (2 mi) east-southeast of Collins, MS · earthquakes near Collins
Magnitude
M 2.1 (md)
Depth
0.0 km below the surface
Felt
8 reports · strongest reported intensity II
Nearest
Covington County, 3 km W
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 1810 days ago

This was a minor earthquake. Quakes this small are rarely felt and do not cause damage.

At this magnitude and depth, people at rest would likely notice it out to about 30 km (19 mi) from the epicentre. In Collins, 4 km away, the estimate is intensity II (weak). Estimated from magnitude, depth and distance with the intensity equation USGS Did You Feel It? uses; felt reports, where there are any, are the measurement.

Earthquakes near other towns within 30 km: Taylorsville, Sumrall.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 49 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.1 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 310,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 220,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 19× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.1 about 49 lb of TNT

Energy from the Gutenberg–Richter relation (log10E = 1.5M + 4.8), rounded to two figures; bar length is magnitude, which is already a logarithm of energy. Magnitudes of past earthquakes from the USGS catalogue.

For this area

No earthquake of M4 or more has been recorded within 50 km since our catalogue begins in 2016.

Before 2016, the USGS record since 1900 lists no earthquake of M5 or more within 50 km.

Since 2016: the QuakeIndex catalogue (US, M1.5+), built from the USGS FDSN event service. Before 2016: USGS ComCat, M5+ from 1900. Distances are between epicentres. This is the record, not a forecast.

Where

Epicentre 31.6380, -89.5162. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Covington County, MS 3 km (2 mi) W earthquakes near Covington County
Jefferson Davis County, MS 31 km (19 mi) WSW earthquakes near Jefferson Davis County
Jones County, MS 33 km (21 mi) E earthquakes near Jones County
Smith County, MS 42 km (26 mi) N earthquakes near Smith County
Simpson County, MS 48 km (30 mi) NW earthquakes near Simpson County
Lamar County, MS 49 km (30 mi) S earthquakes near Lamar County

Places and coordinates from the US Census Bureau Gazetteer (2024). Distances are from the epicentre.

Aftershocks so far

1 earthquake has been recorded within 50 km since this one.

  1. 3.0 5 km NNE of Magee, Mississippi

Counted from the QuakeIndex database, which ingests the USGS feed every 30 seconds · as of . QuakeIndex does not forecast aftershocks. When USGS issues an operational aftershock forecast it appears on the USGS event page.

On USGS

QuakeIndex does not issue warnings. For earthquake early warning see ShakeAlert.