QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.5md

Earthquake near Portageville, MO

No earthquake was likely felt in Portageville in the 24 hours to 2:17 am CST (08:17 UTC). The last one was M 2.3, 17 km (11 mi) SE, at 2:20 pm CDT on 29 October 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Portageville

This page: a magnitude 2.5 earthquake was recorded 9 km (6 mi) west-northwest of Portageville, MO, at 8:40 pm CDT on 13 October 2019 (01:40 UTC), 5.9 km deep. 4 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 6 km SSE of Tallapoosa, Missouri

8:40 pm CDT, Oct 13, 2019 · · 5.9 km deep · released about 190 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N New Madrid County 21 kmPemiscot County 26 kmLake County 31 kmDunklin County 40 kmStoddard County 47 kmFulton County 56 kmClay County 56 kmDyer County 57 kmObion County 59 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
8:40 pm CDT on 13 October 2019 ()
Where
9 km (6 mi) west-northwest of Portageville, MO · earthquakes near Portageville
Missouri today
every earthquake in Missouri in the last 24 hours
Magnitude
M 2.5 (md)
Depth
5.9 km below the surface
Felt
4 reports · strongest reported intensity II
Nearest
New Madrid County, 21 km NE
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 2511 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 48 km (30 mi) from the epicentre. In Portageville, 9 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: Portageville 9 km, intensity III · Malden 19 km, intensity III · New Madrid 29 km, intensity II · Tiptonville 30 km, intensity II · Caruthersville 31 km, intensity II · Steele 41 km, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 190 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.5 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 78,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 55,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 4.9× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.5 about 190 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 36.4475, -89.8003. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
New Madrid County, MO 21 km (13 mi) NE earthquakes near New Madrid County
Pemiscot County, MO 26 km (16 mi) S earthquakes near Pemiscot County
Lake County, TN 31 km (19 mi) ESE earthquakes near Lake County
Dunklin County, MO 40 km (25 mi) SW earthquakes near Dunklin County
Stoddard County, MO 47 km (29 mi) NNW earthquakes near Stoddard County
Fulton County, KY 56 km (35 mi) ENE earthquakes near Fulton 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. 1.7 6 km E of Hayward, Missouri
  2. 1.7 2 km ENE of Marston, Missouri
  3. 2.2 5 km ENE of Steele, Missouri
  4. 1.6 5 km NW of Tiptonville, Tennessee
  5. 2.1 3 km SSE of Holland, Missouri
  6. 1.9 4 km ESE of Marston, Missouri
  7. 2.5 2 km NE of Ridgely, Tennessee
  8. 1.8 0 km NNE of Howardville, Missouri
  9. 2.5 4 km NW of Marston, Missouri
  10. 2.4 3 km NW of Marston, Missouri
  11. 1.6 3 km WNW of Marston, Missouri
  12. 1.6 3 km WNW of Marston, Missouri
  13. 1.8 3 km WNW of Marston, Missouri
  14. 1.7 3 km WNW of Marston, Missouri
  15. 1.9 3 km WNW 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.