QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.1md

Earthquake near Maysville, KY

No earthquake was likely felt in Maysville in the 24 hours to 4:23 pm EST (21:23 UTC). The last one was M 2.2, 24 km (15 mi) E, at 10:46 pm EST on 26 February 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Maysville

This page: a magnitude 2.1 earthquake was recorded 24 km (15 mi) east-southeast of Maysville, KY, at 3:44 am EDT on 26 May 2021 (07:44 UTC), 16 km deep.

USGS: 10 km S of Concord, Kentucky

3:44 am EDT, May 26, 2021 · · 16 km deep · released about 49 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Lewis County 11 kmAdams County 27 kmMason County 30 kmFleming County 31 kmRowan County 43 kmGreenup County 48 kmScioto County 49 kmCarter County 49 kmBrown County 51 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
3:44 am EDT on 26 May 2021 ()
Where
24 km (15 mi) east-southeast of Maysville, KY · earthquakes near Maysville
Kentucky today
every earthquake in Kentucky in the last 24 hours
Magnitude
M 2.1 (md)
Depth
16 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Lewis County, 11 km ESE
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 1995 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 25 km (16 mi) from the epicentre. In Maysville, 24 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: Vanceburg, West Union, Aberdeen, Flemingsburg.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 49 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.1 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 310,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 220,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 19× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.1 about 49 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 38.5893, -83.4793. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Lewis County, KY 11 km (7 mi) ESE earthquakes near Lewis County
Adams County, OH 27 km (17 mi) N earthquakes near Adams County
Mason County, KY 30 km (19 mi) W earthquakes near Mason County
Fleming County, KY 31 km (19 mi) SW earthquakes near Fleming County
Rowan County, KY 43 km (27 mi) S earthquakes near Rowan County
Greenup County, KY 48 km (30 mi) E earthquakes near Greenup County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.7 15 km E of Flemingsburg, Kentucky
  2. 2.2 2 km SSE of Concord, Kentucky
  3. 2.2 7 km WSW of Vanceburg, Kentucky
  4. 2.4 8 km SSE of Flemingsburg, Kentucky
  5. 2.4 9 km NW of Olive Hill, Kentucky
  6. 2.4 6 km SSE of Georgetown, Ohio
  7. 2.2 3 km SSW of Bentonville, Ohio
  8. 2.5 3 km SW of Old Washington, Kentucky
  9. 2.4 3 km SW of Rarden, Ohio
  10. 2.2 20 km SSW of Vanceburg, Kentucky
  11. 2.1 3 km SE of Ripley, Ohio
  12. 3.0 2 km E of Manchester, Ohio

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.