QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.9ml

Earthquake near Durham, CT

No earthquake was likely felt in Durham in the 24 hours to 4:34 am EST (09:34 UTC). The last one was M 2.2, 19 km (12 mi) E, at 8:21 am EDT on 15 March 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 99 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Durham

This page: a magnitude 1.9 earthquake was recorded 3 km (2 mi) east-northeast of Durham, CT, at 7:50 am EDT on 27 July 2019 (11:50 UTC), 7.0 km deep. 276 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 3 km ENE of Durham, Connecticut

13 km (8 mi) ESE of Meriden, CT · 143 km (89 mi) NE of New York, NY

7:50 am EDT, Jul 27, 2019 · · 7.0 km deep · released about 21 lb of TNT

Every earthquake near Durham Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region 15 kmSouth Central Connecticut Planning Region 28 kmCapitol Planning Region 36 kmNaugatuck Valley Planning Region 37 kmSoutheastern Connecticut Planning Region 45 kmGreater Bridgeport Planning Region 58 kmSuffolk County 61 kmNorthwest Hills Planning Region 62 kmNortheastern Connecticut Planning Region 68 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
7:50 am EDT on 27 July 2019 ()
Where
3 km (2 mi) east-northeast of Durham, CT · earthquakes near Durham
Magnitude
M 1.9 (ml)
Depth
7.0 km below the surface
Felt
276 reports · strongest reported intensity IV
Nearest
Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, 15 km ESE
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 2328 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 20 km (12 mi) from the epicentre. In Durham, 3 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: Higganum, Middletown, Portland, Cromwell, Meriden, East Hampton.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 21 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 2.9 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 710,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 500,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 45× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 1.9 about 21 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 41.4947, -72.6444. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, CT 15 km (9 mi) ESE earthquakes near Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region
South Central Connecticut Planning Region, CT 28 km (17 mi) SW earthquakes near South Central Connecticut Planning Region
Capitol Planning Region, CT 36 km (23 mi) N earthquakes near Capitol Planning Region
Naugatuck Valley Planning Region, CT 37 km (23 mi) W earthquakes near Naugatuck Valley Planning Region
Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region, CT 45 km (28 mi) E earthquakes near Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region
Greater Bridgeport Planning Region, CT 58 km (36 mi) SW earthquakes near Greater Bridgeport Planning Region

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.6 6 km SW of Niantic, Connecticut
  2. 1.5 2 km SSW of Deep River Center, Connecticut
  3. 1.9 2 km NNE of East Haddam, Connecticut
  4. 2.2 1 km S of Moodus, Connecticut
  5. 1.9 2 km N of East Haddam, Connecticut
  6. 2.0 3 km E of Plainville, Connecticut
  7. 1.8 1 km NNW of Essex Village, Connecticut
  8. 1.5 3 km NNW of Killingworth, Connecticut
  9. 1.6 2 km ENE of Newington, Connecticut
  10. 1.8 2 km SSW of Moodus, Connecticut
  11. 2.2 1 km NNE of Moodus, Connecticut
  12. 1.7 3 km SSE of East Hampton, Connecticut
  13. 1.9 3 km SW of West Hartford, Connecticut
  14. 1.6 3 km NE of Newington, Connecticut

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.