QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.6md

Earthquake near Haleyville, AL

No earthquake was likely felt in Haleyville in the 24 hours to 8:46 am CST (14:46 UTC). The last one was M 4.0, 285 km (177 mi) NW, at 12:59 pm CDT on 23 April 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 913 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Haleyville

This page: a magnitude 2.6 earthquake was recorded 14 km (9 mi) southeast of Haleyville, AL, at 7:38 pm CST on 14 January 2016 (01:38 UTC), 5.0 km deep. 3 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 8 km ENE of Natural Bridge, Alabama

7:38 pm CST, Jan 14, 2016 · · 5.0 km deep · released about 260 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Winston County 15 kmMarion County 33 kmWalker County 42 kmFranklin County 46 kmLawrence County 48 kmFayette County 51 kmCullman County 60 kmLamar County 64 kmColbert County 69 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 CST on 14 January 2016 ()
Where
14 km (9 mi) southeast of Haleyville, AL · earthquakes near Haleyville
Magnitude
M 2.6 (md)
Depth
5.0 km below the surface
Felt
3 reports · strongest reported intensity III
Nearest
Winston County, 15 km ENE
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 1562 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 52 km (32 mi) from the epicentre. In Haleyville, 14 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.

Earthquakes near other towns within 30 km: Double Springs, Bear Creek, Carbon Hill.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 260 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.6 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 59,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 42,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 3.7× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.6 about 260 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 34.1260, -87.5210. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Winston County, AL 15 km (9 mi) ENE earthquakes near Winston County
Marion County, AL 33 km (21 mi) W earthquakes near Marion County
Walker County, AL 42 km (26 mi) SSE earthquakes near Walker County
Franklin County, AL 46 km (29 mi) NW earthquakes near Franklin County
Lawrence County, AL 48 km (30 mi) NNE earthquakes near Lawrence County
Fayette County, AL 51 km (32 mi) SSW earthquakes near Fayette County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.3 5 km NW of Addison, Alabama
  2. 2.4 6 km NW of Addison, Alabama
  3. 2.4 4 km WNW of Sipsey, Alabama
  4. 2.3 13 km N of Double Springs, Alabama
  5. 2.9 4 km NNW of Berry, Alabama
  6. 2.5 13 km S of Moulton, Alabama
  7. 2.0 4 km NNE of Winfield, Alabama
  8. 2.3 7 km SE of Haleyville, Alabama
  9. 2.0 2 km N of Spruce Pine, Alabama

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.