QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.3md

Earthquake near Cleveland, TN

No earthquake was likely felt in Cleveland in the 24 hours to 5:35 am EST (10:35 UTC). The last one was M 2.3, 16 km (10 mi) ENE, at 2:03 am EDT on 3 August 2025, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 6 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Cleveland

This page: a magnitude 2.3 earthquake was recorded 46 km (29 mi) east of Cleveland, TN, at 6:34 am EDT on 30 July 2026 (10:34 UTC), 13 km deep.

USGS: 17 km SSW of Tellico Plains, Tennessee

81 km (50 mi) ENE of Chattanooga, TN · 45 km (28 mi) E of Cleveland, TN

6:34 am EDT, Jul 30, 2026 · · 13 km deep · released about 79 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Polk County 19 kmMonroe County 28 kmCherokee County 30 kmMcMinn County 32 kmFannin County 40 kmBradley County 45 kmMeigs County 51 kmGraham County 52 kmUnion County 56 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
6:34 am EDT on 30 July 2026 ()
Where
46 km (29 mi) east of Cleveland, TN · earthquakes near Cleveland
Magnitude
M 2.3 (md)
Depth
13 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Polk County, 19 km SW
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 104 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 34 km (21 mi) from the epicentre. In Cleveland, 46 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: Athens 32 km, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 79 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.3 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 190,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 130,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 12× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.3 about 79 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 35.2197, -84.3763. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Polk County, TN 19 km (12 mi) SW earthquakes near Polk County
Monroe County, TN 28 km (17 mi) NNE earthquakes near Monroe County
Cherokee County, NC 30 km (19 mi) ESE earthquakes near Cherokee County
McMinn County, TN 32 km (20 mi) NW earthquakes near McMinn County
Fannin County, GA 40 km (25 mi) S earthquakes near Fannin County
Bradley County, TN 45 km (28 mi) W earthquakes near Bradley County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.6 1 km SSW of Sweetwater, Tennessee
  2. 1.9 4 km ENE of Riceville, Tennessee
  3. 1.9 7 km SW of Tellico Village, Tennessee
  4. 1.7 8 km ESE of Englewood, Tennessee
  5. 1.7 1 km ENE of Sweetwater, Tennessee
  6. 1.6 8 km E of Englewood, Tennessee
  7. 1.8 8 km E of Englewood, Tennessee
  8. 2.0 8 km SSE of Etowah, 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

QuakeIndex does not issue warnings. For earthquake early warning see ShakeAlert.