QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.7md

Earthquake near Hazard, KY

No earthquake was likely felt in Hazard in the 24 hours to 6:11 am EST (11:11 UTC). The last one was M 4.1, 202 km (126 mi) SSW, at 9:04 am EDT on 10 May 2025, estimated intensity III (weak) in town; 45,935 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Hazard

This page: a magnitude 2.7 earthquake was recorded 28 km (17 mi) south-southwest of Hazard, KY, at 5:47 am EDT on 22 May 2024 (09:47 UTC), 13 km deep. 3 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 18 km SSE of Hyden, Kentucky

5:47 am EDT, May 22, 2024 · · 13 km deep · released about 390 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Leslie County 12 kmHarlan County 18 kmPerry County 26 kmLee County 37 kmLetcher County 40 kmClay County 42 kmBell County 47 kmKnott County 48 kmKnox County 52 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
5:47 am EDT on 22 May 2024 ()
Where
28 km (17 mi) south-southwest of Hazard, KY · earthquakes near Hazard
Kentucky today
every earthquake in Kentucky in the last 24 hours
Magnitude
M 2.7 (md)
Depth
13 km below the surface
Felt
3 reports · strongest reported intensity II
Nearest
Leslie County, 12 km NW
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 827 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 57 km (35 mi) from the epicentre. In Hazard, 28 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: Harlan, Cumberland.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 390 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.7 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 39,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 28,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 2.5× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.7 about 390 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 37.0115, -83.2885. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Leslie County, KY 12 km (8 mi) NW earthquakes near Leslie County
Harlan County, KY 18 km (11 mi) SSE earthquakes near Harlan County
Perry County, KY 26 km (16 mi) NNE earthquakes near Perry County
Lee County, VA 37 km (23 mi) SSE earthquakes near Lee County
Letcher County, KY 40 km (25 mi) ENE earthquakes near Letcher County
Clay County, KY 42 km (26 mi) WNW earthquakes near Clay County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.1 5 km ESE of Pineville, Kentucky
  2. 2.5 9 km NE of Flat Lick, Kentucky

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.