QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.8mb_lg

Earthquake near Hastings, NE

No earthquake was likely felt in Hastings in the 24 hours to 3:55 am CST (09:55 UTC). The last one was M 5.0, 568 km (353 mi) SSW, at 5:21 am CDT on 23 July 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 499 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Hastings

This page: a magnitude 2.8 earthquake was recorded 22 km (13 mi) east of Hastings, NE, at 1:57 am CST on 21 November 2024 (07:57 UTC), 9.6 km deep. 6 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 3 km W of Harvard, Nebraska

39 km (24 mi) SSE of Grand Island, NE · 125 km (78 mi) W of Lincoln, NE

1:57 am CST, Nov 21, 2024 · · 9.6 km deep · released about 480 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Clay County 13 kmHamilton County 30 kmAdams County 33 kmHall County 41 kmFillmore County 47 kmNuckolls County 50 kmYork County 53 kmWebster County 58 kmMerrick County 62 km
Distance rings around the epicentre, with the nearest towns at their true direction. Not a shaking map — see the USGS ShakeMap for that.
When
1:57 am CST on 21 November 2024 ()
Where
22 km (13 mi) east of Hastings, NE · earthquakes near Hastings
Magnitude
M 2.8 (mb_lg)
Depth
9.6 km below the surface
Felt
6 reports · strongest reported intensity IV
Nearest
Clay County, 13 km SE
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 650 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 61 km (38 mi) from the epicentre. In Hastings, 22 km away, the estimate is intensity III (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: Hastings 22 km, intensity III. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 480 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.8 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 32,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 22,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 2× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.8 about 480 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 40.6185, -98.1348. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Clay County, NE 13 km (8 mi) SE earthquakes near Clay County
Hamilton County, NE 30 km (19 mi) NNE earthquakes near Hamilton County
Adams County, NE 33 km (20 mi) WSW earthquakes near Adams County
Hall County, NE 41 km (26 mi) NW earthquakes near Hall County
Fillmore County, NE 47 km (29 mi) ESE earthquakes near Fillmore County
Nuckolls County, NE 50 km (31 mi) S earthquakes near Nuckolls County

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

Aftershocks so far

No further earthquakes have been recorded within 50 km since this one.

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.