QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.0md

Earthquake near Helena, AR

No earthquake was likely felt in Helena in the 24 hours to 6:20 am CST (12:20 UTC). The last one was M 4.0, 183 km (114 mi) NNE, at 12:59 pm CDT on 23 April 2026, estimated intensity III (weak) in town; 913 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Helena

This page: a magnitude 2.0 earthquake was recorded 2 km (2 mi) west of Helena, AR, at 8:13 am CDT on 26 October 2025 (13:13 UTC), 10 km deep.

USGS: 2 km W of Helena, Arkansas

88 km (55 mi) SW of Memphis, TN

8:13 am CDT, Oct 26, 2025 · · 10 km deep · released about 31 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Phillips County 25 kmTunica County 27 kmLee County 32 kmCoahoma County 33 kmQuitman County 43 kmMonroe County 56 kmSt. Francis County 57 kmPanola County 63 kmTate County 63 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
8:13 am CDT on 26 October 2025 ()
Where
2 km (2 mi) west of Helena, AR · earthquakes near Helena
Magnitude
M 2.0 (md)
Depth
10 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Phillips County, 25 km WSW
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 301 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 23 km (14 mi) from the epicentre. In Helena, 2 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: Helena-West Helena, West Helena, Friars Point, Marvell, Jonestown, North Tunica.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 31 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.0 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 480,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 340,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 31× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.0 about 31 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 34.5258, -90.6183. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Phillips County, AR 25 km (15 mi) WSW earthquakes near Phillips County
Tunica County, MS 27 km (17 mi) ENE earthquakes near Tunica County
Lee County, AR 32 km (20 mi) NNW earthquakes near Lee County
Coahoma County, MS 33 km (20 mi) S earthquakes near Coahoma County
Quitman County, MS 43 km (27 mi) SE earthquakes near Quitman County
Monroe County, AR 56 km (35 mi) WNW earthquakes near Monroe 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. 1.7 12 km ENE of White Oak, 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.