QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.7md

Earthquake near Ridgely, TN

No earthquake was likely felt in Ridgely in the 24 hours to 3:14 am CST (09:14 UTC). The last one was M 1.6, 3 km (2 mi) NNE, at 9:02 pm CDT on 31 October 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Ridgely

This page: a magnitude 2.7 earthquake was recorded 2 km (1 mi) north-northwest of Ridgely, TN, at 7:38 pm CDT on 27 May 2019 (00:38 UTC), 9.6 km deep. 9 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 2 km NNW of Ridgely, Tennessee

7:38 pm CDT, May 27, 2019 · · 9.6 km deep · released about 390 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Lake County 6 kmPemiscot County 27 kmDyer County 27 kmObion County 33 kmNew Madrid County 37 kmFulton County 41 kmDunklin County 52 kmLauderdale County 59 kmGibson County 60 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
7:38 pm CDT on 27 May 2019 ()
Where
2 km (1 mi) north-northwest of Ridgely, TN · earthquakes near Ridgely
Magnitude
M 2.7 (md)
Depth
9.6 km below the surface
Felt
9 reports · strongest reported intensity IV
Nearest
Lake County, 6 km NNE
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 2636 days ago

This was a small earthquake. Shaking like this is often felt indoors nearby and very rarely causes damage.

At this magnitude and depth, people at rest would likely notice it out to about 58 km (36 mi) from the epicentre. In Ridgely, 2 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 11 km, intensity III · Caruthersville 17 km, intensity III · Portageville 24 km, intensity III · Dyersburg 29 km, intensity II · New Madrid 34 km, intensity II · Steele 37 km, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 390 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.7 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 39,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 28,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 2.5× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.7 about 390 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 36.2812, -89.5022. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Lake County, TN 6 km (4 mi) NNE earthquakes near Lake County
Pemiscot County, MO 27 km (17 mi) WSW earthquakes near Pemiscot County
Dyer County, TN 27 km (17 mi) SSE earthquakes near Dyer County
Obion County, TN 33 km (20 mi) ENE earthquakes near Obion County
New Madrid County, MO 37 km (23 mi) NNW earthquakes near New Madrid County
Fulton County, KY 41 km (26 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. 1.9 3 km NW of Marston, Missouri
  2. 1.7 7 km NW of Tiptonville, Tennessee
  3. 1.6 8 km NW of Tiptonville, Tennessee
  4. 1.7 4 km SW of Caruthersville, Missouri
  5. 1.9 6 km ENE of Steele, Missouri
  6. 1.9 1 km SSW of Ridgely, Tennessee
  7. 1.9 1 km NNW of Marston, Missouri
  8. 1.6 2 km SSW of Howardville, Missouri
  9. 1.7 3 km NNW of Ridgely, Tennessee
  10. 1.7 1 km NW of Ridgely, Tennessee
  11. 1.7 2 km NNW of Ridgely, Tennessee
  12. 1.5 7 km SE of Ridgely, Tennessee
  13. 1.8 7 km ENE of Steele, Missouri
  14. 1.9 5 km E of Risco, Missouri
  15. 1.7 14 km WSW of Hickman, Kentucky

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.