QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.4md

Earthquake near Tiptonville, TN

No earthquake was likely felt in Tiptonville in the 24 hours to 7:02 am CST (13:02 UTC). The last one was M 2.3, 8 km (5 mi) SW, at 2:20 pm CDT on 29 October 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Tiptonville

This page: a magnitude 2.4 earthquake was recorded 6 km (3 mi) south of Tiptonville, TN, at 7:48 pm CST on 19 November 2016 (01:48 UTC), 5.2 km deep. 2 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 5 km S of Tiptonville, Tennessee

7:48 pm CST, Nov 19, 2016 · · 5.2 km deep · released about 110 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Lake County 2 kmObion County 28 kmDyer County 31 kmPemiscot County 32 kmNew Madrid County 34 kmFulton County 35 kmDunklin County 57 kmMississippi County 57 kmHickman County 58 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
7:48 pm CST on 19 November 2016 ()
Where
6 km (3 mi) south of Tiptonville, TN · earthquakes near Tiptonville
Magnitude
M 2.4 (md)
Depth
5.2 km below the surface
Felt
2 reports · strongest reported intensity II
Nearest
Lake County, 2 km WNW
Nearest mapped fault
Reelfoot scarp and New Madrid seismic zone, under 1 km from its surface trace — near is not the same as on
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 3643 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 40 km (25 mi) from the epicentre. In Tiptonville, 6 km away, the estimate is intensity III (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.

Likely felt in: Tiptonville 6 km, intensity III · Caruthersville 23 km, intensity II · Portageville 24 km, intensity II · New Madrid 29 km, intensity II · Dyersburg 33 km, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 110 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.4 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 130,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 95,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 8.5× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.4 about 110 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 36.3290, -89.4627. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Lake County, TN 2 km (1 mi) WNW earthquakes near Lake County
Obion County, TN 28 km (18 mi) E earthquakes near Obion County
Dyer County, TN 31 km (19 mi) S earthquakes near Dyer County
Pemiscot County, MO 32 km (20 mi) WSW earthquakes near Pemiscot County
New Madrid County, MO 34 km (21 mi) NNW earthquakes near New Madrid County
Fulton County, KY 35 km (22 mi) NE earthquakes near Fulton County

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

Aftershocks so far

57 earthquakes have been recorded within 50 km since this one.

  1. 2.3 1 km SSW of Lilbourn, Missouri
  2. 2.7 3 km WNW of Tiptonville, Tennessee
  3. 2.4 3 km SSE of Ridgely, Tennessee
  4. 1.5 9 km NW of Tiptonville, Tennessee
  5. 2.1 1 km ENE of Risco, Missouri
  6. 2.0 5 km WNW of Tiptonville, Tennessee
  7. 2.2 7 km NNW of Tiptonville, Tennessee
  8. 1.6 3 km NNW of Ridgely, Tennessee
  9. 2.5 9 km ENE of Steele, Missouri
  10. 1.9 3 km ESE of Steele, Missouri
  11. 1.6 4 km ESE of Ridgely, Tennessee
  12. 1.8 8 km N of New Madrid, Missouri
  13. 1.6 7 km SE of Marston, Missouri
  14. 1.6 3 km ESE of Marston, Missouri
  15. 2.4 4 km NW of Marston, Missouri

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.