QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.8md

Earthquake near Galax, VA

No earthquake was likely felt in Galax in the 24 hours to 10:25 am EST (15:25 UTC). The last one was M 2.2, 15 km (9 mi) WSW, at 7:45 pm EST on 22 February 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 14 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Galax

This page: a magnitude 1.8 earthquake was recorded 21 km (13 mi) west-southwest of Galax, VA, at 8:08 pm EDT on 30 March 2019 (00:08 UTC), 4.7 km deep. 11 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 0 km S of Independence, Virginia

98 km (61 mi) NW of Winston-Salem, NC

8:08 pm EDT, Mar 30, 2019 · · 4.7 km deep · released about 15 lb of TNT

Every earthquake near Galax Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N Grayson County 7 kmAlleghany County 15 kmGalax city 22 kmWythe County 32 kmAshe County 37 kmCarroll County 40 kmSmyth County 42 kmWilkes County 46 kmSurry County 47 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
8:08 pm EDT on 30 March 2019 ()
Where
21 km (13 mi) west-southwest of Galax, VA · earthquakes near Galax
Magnitude
M 1.8 (md)
Depth
4.7 km below the surface
Felt
11 reports · strongest reported intensity IV
Nearest
Grayson County, 7 km WNW
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 2713 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 16 km (10 mi) from the epicentre. In Galax, 21 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.

Likely felt in: Sparta 13 km, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 15 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 2.8 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 1,000,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 730,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 65× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 1.8 about 15 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 36.6197, -81.1528. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Grayson County, VA 7 km (4 mi) WNW earthquakes near Grayson County
Alleghany County, NC 15 km (9 mi) S earthquakes near Alleghany County
Galax city, VA 22 km (14 mi) ENE earthquakes near Galax city
Wythe County, VA 32 km (20 mi) NNE earthquakes near Wythe County
Ashe County, NC 37 km (23 mi) WSW earthquakes near Ashe County
Carroll County, VA 40 km (25 mi) ENE earthquakes near Carroll County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.9 2 km S of Sparta, North Carolina
  2. 2.0 8 km SSE of Sparta, North Carolina
  3. 1.8 4 km SSE of Sparta, North Carolina
  4. 1.6 7 km SSE of Sparta, North Carolina
  5. 1.6 10 km NNW of Hays, North Carolina
  6. 1.8 10 km NNW of Hays, North Carolina
  7. 2.3 9 km N of Independence, Virginia
  8. 2.0 9 km N of Independence, Virginia
  9. 1.9 3 km ESE of Sparta, North Carolina
  10. 1.9 5 km ESE of Sparta, North Carolina
  11. 2.3 6 km SE of Sparta, North Carolina
  12. 1.7 2 km SE of Sparta, North Carolina
  13. 2.0 5 km SSE of Sparta, North Carolina
  14. 1.5 Virginia-North Carolina border region
  15. 2.2 4 km SSE of Sparta, North Carolina

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.