QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.7ml

Earthquake near Cotulla, TX

USGS: 6 km SSE of Fowlerton, Texas

12:14 am CST, Jan 30, 2026 · · 5.7 km deep · released about 11 lb of TNT

Every earthquake near Cotulla Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N McMullen County 20 kmLa Salle County 31 kmAtascosa County 58 kmFrio County 60 kmLive Oak County 65 kmDuval County 86 kmWebb County 91 kmDimmit County 96 kmJim Wells County 102 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
12:14 am CST on 30 January 2026 ()
Where
44 km (28 mi) E of Cotulla, TX · earthquakes near Cotulla
Magnitude
M 1.7 (ml)
Depth
5.7 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
McMullen County, 20 km E
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 246 days ago

A magnitude 1.7 earthquake was recorded 44 km (28 mi) E of Cotulla, TX, at 12:14 am CST on 30 January 2026 (06:14 UTC). This was a minor earthquake. Quakes this small are rarely felt and do not cause damage.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 11 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 2.7 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 1,400,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 1,000,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 89× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 1.7 about 11 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 28.4130, -98.7830. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
McMullen County, TX 20 km (13 mi) E earthquakes near McMullen County
La Salle County, TX 31 km (20 mi) WSW earthquakes near La Salle County
Atascosa County, TX 58 km (36 mi) NNE earthquakes near Atascosa County
Frio County, TX 60 km (37 mi) NNW earthquakes near Frio County
Live Oak County, TX 65 km (40 mi) E earthquakes near Live Oak County
Duval County, TX 86 km (53 mi) SSE earthquakes near Duval County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.5 16 km NW of Three Rivers, Texas
  2. 1.6 10 km NE of Hilltop, Texas
  3. 2.1 9 km SSE of Fowlerton, Texas
  4. 2.1 8 km SSE of Fowlerton, Texas
  5. 1.8 7 km SE of Fowlerton, Texas
  6. 1.9 southern Texas
  7. 1.9 8 km ESE of Fowlerton, Texas
  8. 1.9 9 km SE of Fowlerton, Texas
  9. 2.0 10 km SE of Fowlerton, Texas
  10. 2.1 11 km SSE of Fowlerton, Texas
  11. 2.1 14 km SE of Pearsall, Texas
  12. 2.0 2 km W of Dilley, Texas
  13. 2.0 10 km SSE of Fowlerton, Texas
  14. 2.4 18 km ESE of Pearsall, Texas
  15. 2.9 22 km E of Dilley, Texas

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.