QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 3.3md

Earthquake near Lilbourn, MO

No earthquake was likely felt in Lilbourn in the 24 hours to 2:23 pm CST (20:23 UTC). The last one was M 2.3, 29 km (18 mi) SSE, at 2:20 pm CDT on 29 October 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Lilbourn

This page: a magnitude 3.3 earthquake was recorded 5 km (3 mi) southwest of Lilbourn, MO, at 3:47 am CDT on 27 September 2019 (08:47 UTC), 8.2 km deep. 66 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 4 km WSW of Howardville, Missouri

3:47 am CDT, Sep 27, 2019 · · 8.2 km deep · released about 1.2 tons of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N New Madrid County 4 kmLake County 29 kmPemiscot County 40 kmFulton County 41 kmStoddard County 42 kmMississippi County 43 kmObion County 50 kmScott County 55 kmDunklin 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
3:47 am CDT on 27 September 2019 ()
Where
5 km (3 mi) southwest of Lilbourn, MO · earthquakes near Lilbourn
Missouri today
every earthquake in Missouri in the last 24 hours
Magnitude
M 3.3 (md)
Depth
8.2 km below the surface
Felt
66 reports · strongest reported intensity IV
Nearest
New Madrid County, 4 km N
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 2518 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 221 km (137 mi) from the epicentre. In Lilbourn, 5 km away, the estimate is intensity IV (light). 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: New Madrid 11 km, intensity III · Portageville 15 km, intensity III · Tiptonville 25 km, intensity III · Malden 28 km, intensity III · East Prairie 34 km, intensity III · Caruthersville 40 km, intensity III · Charleston 48 km, intensity III. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 1.2 tons of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 4.3 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Northridge, California 1994 M 6.7 140,000× the energy of this one
  2. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 6,200× the energy of this one
  3. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 4,400× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 3.3 about 1.2 tons of TNT
  5. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 this one released 2.5× more

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 36.5558, -89.6482. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
New Madrid County, MO 4 km (3 mi) N earthquakes near New Madrid County
Lake County, TN 29 km (18 mi) SSE earthquakes near Lake County
Pemiscot County, MO 40 km (25 mi) SSW earthquakes near Pemiscot County
Fulton County, KY 41 km (26 mi) E earthquakes near Fulton County
Stoddard County, MO 42 km (26 mi) NW earthquakes near Stoddard County
Mississippi County, MO 43 km (27 mi) NE earthquakes near Mississippi County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.6 3 km WNW of Marston, Missouri
  2. 1.7 4 km NW of Marston, Missouri
  3. 1.9 8 km W of Tiptonville, Tennessee
  4. 1.7 7 km W of East Prairie, Missouri
  5. 1.7 6 km ESE of Marston, Missouri
  6. 2.2 3 km NE of Ridgely, Tennessee
  7. 2.2 6 km NW of Tiptonville, Tennessee
  8. 1.9 2 km SW of Ridgely, Tennessee
  9. 1.7 6 km NW of Ridgely, Tennessee
  10. 2.4 7 km NW of Tiptonville, Tennessee
  11. 1.6 5 km NW of Ridgely, Tennessee
  12. 2.0 3 km NW of Marston, Missouri
  13. 2.1 2 km SSW of Ridgely, Tennessee
  14. 2.1 2 km SSW of Ridgely, Tennessee
  15. 2.0 4 km WSW of Howardville, 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.