QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.7mb_lg

Earthquake near Storm Lake, IA

No earthquake was likely felt in Storm Lake in the 24 hours to 5:53 am CST (11:53 UTC). The last one was M 2.7, 22 km (14 mi) NNE, at 3:24 pm CDT on 30 June 2021, estimated intensity III (weak) in town; 1 felt report to USGS. Every earthquake near Storm Lake

This page: a magnitude 2.7 earthquake was recorded 22 km (14 mi) north-northeast of Storm Lake, IA, at 3:24 pm CDT on 30 June 2021 (20:24 UTC), 10 km deep. 1 person has reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 4 km E of Rembrandt, Iowa

3:24 pm CDT, Jun 30, 2021 · · 10 km deep · released about 340 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Buena Vista County 10 kmClay County 29 kmPocahontas County 36 kmCherokee County 44 kmPalo Alto County 45 kmSac County 49 kmO'Brien County 51 kmIda County 58 kmCalhoun 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
3:24 pm CDT on 30 June 2021 ()
Where
22 km (14 mi) north-northeast of Storm Lake, IA · earthquakes near Storm Lake
Magnitude
M 2.7 (mb_lg)
Depth
10 km below the surface
Felt
1 report · strongest reported intensity III
Nearest
Buena Vista County, 10 km SSW
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 1702 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 55 km (34 mi) from the epicentre. In Storm Lake, 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.

Earthquakes near other towns within 30 km: Laurens, Alta.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 340 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.7 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 45,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 32,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 2.8× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.7 about 340 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 42.8255, -95.1057. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Buena Vista County, IA 10 km (6 mi) SSW earthquakes near Buena Vista County
Clay County, IA 29 km (18 mi) N earthquakes near Clay County
Pocahontas County, IA 36 km (23 mi) ESE earthquakes near Pocahontas County
Cherokee County, IA 44 km (27 mi) WSW earthquakes near Cherokee County
Palo Alto County, IA 45 km (28 mi) NE earthquakes near Palo Alto County
Sac County, IA 49 km (30 mi) S earthquakes near Sac 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.