QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.4md

Earthquake near Clanton, AL

No earthquake was likely felt in Clanton in the 24 hours to 7:27 pm CST (01:27 UTC). The last one was M 4.9, 642 km (399 mi) W, at 5:30 am CST on 5 March 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 1,576 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Clanton

This page: a magnitude 2.4 earthquake was recorded 6 km (3 mi) northwest of Clanton, AL, at 1:50 am CDT on 6 November 2021 (06:50 UTC), 4.6 km deep. 3 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 5 km NW of Clanton, Alabama

70 km (43 mi) NNW of Montgomery, AL · 57 km (36 mi) SSE of Hoover, AL

1:50 am CDT, Nov 6, 2021 · · 4.6 km deep · released about 100 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Chilton County 6 kmAutauga County 38 kmCoosa County 41 kmShelby County 44 kmBibb County 45 kmElmore County 58 kmPerry County 64 kmTalladega County 72 kmDallas County 73 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
1:50 am CDT on 6 November 2021 ()
Where
6 km (3 mi) northwest of Clanton, AL · earthquakes near Clanton
Magnitude
M 2.4 (md)
Depth
4.6 km below the surface
Felt
3 reports · strongest reported intensity III
Nearest
Chilton County, 6 km WSW
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 1761 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 40 km (25 mi) from the epicentre. In Clanton, 6 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: Thorsby, Jemison, Calera, Marbury, Shelby.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 100 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.4 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 140,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 100,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 9.1× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.4 about 100 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 32.8737, -86.6723. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Chilton County, AL 6 km (3 mi) WSW earthquakes near Chilton County
Autauga County, AL 38 km (24 mi) S earthquakes near Autauga County
Coosa County, AL 41 km (25 mi) E earthquakes near Coosa County
Shelby County, AL 44 km (27 mi) N earthquakes near Shelby County
Bibb County, AL 45 km (28 mi) WNW earthquakes near Bibb County
Elmore County, AL 58 km (36 mi) ESE earthquakes near Elmore 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. 3.1 10 km E of Maplesville, 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.