Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist
M 4.4mw
Earthquake near Decatur, TN
No earthquake was likely felt in Decatur in the 24 hours to 3:29 am EST (08:29 UTC). The last one was M 1.9, 18 km (11 mi) SE, at 6:30 am EDT on 31 October 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Decatur
This page: a magnitude 4.4 earthquake was recorded 12 km (7 mi) north-northeast of Decatur, TN, at 4:14 am EST on 12 December 2018 (09:14 UTC), 7.9 km deep. 8,502 people have reported feeling it to USGS.
USGS: 12 km NNE of Decatur, Tennessee
77 km (48 mi) NE of Chattanooga, TN · 50 km (31 mi) NNE of Cleveland, TN
- When
- 4:14 am EST on 12 December 2018 ()
- Where
- 12 km (7 mi) north-northeast of Decatur, TN · earthquakes near Decatur
- Magnitude
- M 4.4 (mw)
- Depth
- 7.9 km below the surface
- Felt
- 8,502 reports · strongest reported intensity V
- Measured shaking
- intensity IV (ShakeMap)
- USGS impact alert
- green
- Nearest
- Meigs County, 13 km SW
- Status
- Reviewed by a seismologist
USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 305 days ago
Earthquake alerts for Decatur, TN
Get a notification in this browser when USGS records an earthquake near Decatur, TN. No account or email needed.
Alerts are on for .
Not a warning. An alert comes after USGS publishes a quake, usually minutes after the shaking. For early warning use ShakeAlert, through your phone's Wireless Emergency Alerts or the MyShake app.
This was a light earthquake. It is usually felt clearly nearby and can rattle windows and dishes, but damage is uncommon.
At this magnitude and depth, people at rest would likely notice it out to about 580 km (360 mi) from the epicentre. In Decatur, 12 km away, the estimate is intensity V (moderate). 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: Decatur 12 km, intensity V · Athens 23 km, intensity IV. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.
How big was it?
This earthquake released about 60 tons of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 5.4 would have released about 32 times as much.
- Northridge, California 1994 M 6.7 2,800× the energy of this one
- Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 130× the energy of this one
- Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 89× the energy of this one
- This earthquake M 4.4 about 60 tons of TNT
- Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 this one released 130× more
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
The largest earthquake within 50 km (31 mi) since our catalogue begins in 2016. No other earthquake of M4 or more has been recorded this close in that time.
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 35.6123, -84.7320. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Nearby places
| Place | Distance | Direction from the epicentre | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meigs County, TN | 13 km (8 mi) | SW | earthquakes near Meigs County |
| Rhea County, TN | 20 km (12 mi) | W | earthquakes near Rhea County |
| McMinn County, TN | 23 km (14 mi) | SSE | earthquakes near McMinn County |
| Roane County, TN | 32 km (20 mi) | NE | earthquakes near Roane County |
| Loudon County, TN | 40 km (25 mi) | ENE | earthquakes near Loudon County |
| Bledsoe County, TN | 43 km (27 mi) | W | earthquakes near Bledsoe County |
Places and coordinates from the US Census Bureau Gazetteer (2024). Distances are from the epicentre.
Aftershocks so far
56 earthquakes have been recorded within 50 km since this one.
- 2.3 8 km E of Pikeville, Tennessee
- 1.8 6 km SW of Tellico Plains, Tennessee
- 2.5 6 km ENE of Decatur, Tennessee
- 2.0 3 km WNW of Madisonville, Tennessee
- 2.1 6 km WNW of Vonore, Tennessee
- 2.0 4 km ESE of Huntsville, Tennessee
- 2.1 2 km WNW of Tellico Village, Tennessee
- 1.8 4 km WSW of Graysville, Tennessee
- 2.3 6 km SE of Englewood, Tennessee
- 1.7 10 km SSE of Vonore, Tennessee
- 1.6 8 km SSE of Vonore, Tennessee
- 1.7 6 km WSW of Tellico Village, Tennessee
- 1.7 11 km WNW of Loudon, Tennessee
- 2.1 2 km W of Hopewell, Tennessee
- 2.1 4 km NW of Tellico Plains, Tennessee
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
- The official USGS event page — the source of record for every value above
- Did you feel it? Report it to USGS — reports go to USGS, not to us
- ShakeMap for this event, when USGS has produced one
QuakeIndex does not issue warnings. For earthquake early warning see ShakeAlert.