QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.8mb_lg

Earthquake near Century, FL

No earthquake was likely felt in Century in the 24 hours to 11:04 pm CST (05:04 UTC). The last one was M 4.9, 595 km (370 mi) WNW, at 5:30 am CST on 5 March 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 1,576 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Century

This page: a magnitude 1.8 earthquake was recorded 7 km (4 mi) east of Century, FL, at 1:17 pm CDT on 3 September 2020 (18:17 UTC), 5.0 km deep. 2 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 4 km WNW of Jay, Florida

94 km (58 mi) ENE of Mobile, AL · 60 km (37 mi) N of Pensacola, FL

1:17 pm CDT, Sep 3, 2020 · · 5.0 km deep · released about 15 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Escambia County 16 kmSanta Rosa County 37 kmEscambia County 51 kmConecuh County 54 kmBaldwin County 64 kmMonroe County 70 kmOkaloosa County 70 kmCovington County 77 kmClarke County 99 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
1:17 pm CDT on 3 September 2020 ()
Where
7 km (4 mi) east of Century, FL · earthquakes near Century
Florida today
every earthquake in Florida in the last 24 hours
Magnitude
M 1.8 (mb_lg)
Depth
5.0 km below the surface
Felt
2 reports · strongest reported intensity III
Nearest
Escambia County, 16 km N
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 1340 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 16 km (10 mi) from the epicentre. In Century, 7 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: Flomaton, East Brewton, Brewton, Atmore.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 15 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 2.8 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 1,000,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 710,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 63× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 1.8 about 15 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 30.9764, -87.1931. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Escambia County, AL 16 km (10 mi) N earthquakes near Escambia County
Santa Rosa County, FL 37 km (23 mi) SSE earthquakes near Santa Rosa County
Escambia County, FL 51 km (32 mi) SSW earthquakes near Escambia County
Conecuh County, AL 54 km (34 mi) NNE earthquakes near Conecuh County
Baldwin County, AL 64 km (39 mi) WSW earthquakes near Baldwin County
Monroe County, AL 70 km (43 mi) NNW earthquakes near Monroe 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.