QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.6ml

Earthquake near Lewiston, ME

No earthquake was likely felt in Lewiston in the 24 hours to 7:34 pm EST (00:34 UTC). The last one was M 1.8, 11 km (7 mi) N, at 1:33 pm EST on 29 January 2025, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Lewiston

This page: a magnitude 1.6 earthquake was recorded 23 km (14 mi) west-southwest of Lewiston, ME, at 10:41 pm EST on 24 November 2018 (03:41 UTC), 5.8 km deep. 2 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 6 km ESE of Casco, Maine

45 km (28 mi) NNW of Portland, ME · 137 km (85 mi) NE of Manchester, NH

10:41 pm EST, Nov 24, 2018 · · 5.8 km deep · released about 7.6 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Cumberland County 22 kmAndroscoggin County 28 kmSagadahoc County 49 kmOxford County 61 kmCarroll County 61 kmYork County 65 kmKennebec County 73 kmLincoln County 75 kmStrafford County 90 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
10:41 pm EST on 24 November 2018 ()
Where
23 km (14 mi) west-southwest of Lewiston, ME · earthquakes near Lewiston
Magnitude
M 1.6 (ml)
Depth
5.8 km below the surface
Felt
2 reports · strongest reported intensity III
Nearest
Cumberland County, 22 km SSE
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 2840 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 5 km (3 mi) from the epicentre. In Lewiston, 23 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: Poland, Raymond, New Gloucester, Mechanic Falls, Minot, Oxford.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 7.6 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 2.6 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 2,000,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 1,400,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 130× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 1.6 about 7.6 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 43.9866, -70.4518. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Cumberland County, ME 22 km (14 mi) SSE earthquakes near Cumberland County
Androscoggin County, ME 28 km (17 mi) NE earthquakes near Androscoggin County
Sagadahoc County, ME 49 km (31 mi) E earthquakes near Sagadahoc County
Oxford County, ME 61 km (38 mi) NNW earthquakes near Oxford County
Carroll County, NH 61 km (38 mi) WSW earthquakes near Carroll County
York County, ME 65 km (40 mi) SSW earthquakes near York County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.6 5 km SSE of Monmouth, Maine
  2. 1.8 2 km SW of Gray, Maine
  3. 1.9 8 km ENE of Lake Arrowhead, Maine
  4. 1.7 6 km S of Livermore, Maine
  5. 1.8 6 km SSE of Turner, Maine
  6. 1.7 6 km SSW of Livermore, Maine
  7. 1.6 6 km ENE of Buckfield, Maine
  8. 1.5 6 km S of Monmouth, Maine
  9. 2.5 6 km N of Turner, Maine
  10. 2.4 Maine
  11. 1.5 2 km ENE of Lewiston, Maine
  12. 1.8 2 km SSE of West Paris, Maine
  13. 1.7 5 km NW of Greene, Maine
  14. 2.1 9 km NNW of Harrison, Maine
  15. 2.2 1 km SW of Sabattus, Maine

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.