QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.7mb_lg

Earthquake near Detroit, MI

No earthquake was likely felt in Detroit in the 24 hours to 3:18 pm EST (20:18 UTC). The last one was M 2.7, 47 km (29 mi) SW, at 5:32 pm EDT on 4 May 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 222 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Detroit

This page: a magnitude 2.7 earthquake was recorded 47 km (29 mi) southwest of Detroit, MI, at 5:32 pm EDT on 4 May 2026 (21:32 UTC), 7.9 km deep. 222 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 8 km N of Maybee, Michigan

47 km (29 mi) SW of Detroit, MI · 25 km (16 mi) SW of Taylor, MI

5:32 pm EDT, May 4, 2026 · · 7.9 km deep · released about 340 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Monroe County 18 kmWayne County 30 kmWashtenaw County 34 kmLucas County 44 kmLenawee County 52 kmOakland County 65 kmLivingston County 67 kmOttawa County 72 kmFulton County 74 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
5:32 pm EDT on 4 May 2026 ()
Where
47 km (29 mi) southwest of Detroit, MI · earthquakes near Detroit
Magnitude
M 2.7 (mb_lg)
Depth
7.9 km below the surface
Felt
222 reports · strongest reported intensity IV
Nearest
Monroe County, 18 km S
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 119 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 56 km (35 mi) from the epicentre. In Detroit, 47 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: Carleton, Belleville, Milan, Flat Rock, Romulus, Dundee.

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 42.0790, -83.5005. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Monroe County, MI 18 km (11 mi) S earthquakes near Monroe County
Wayne County, MI 30 km (19 mi) NE earthquakes near Wayne County
Washtenaw County, MI 34 km (21 mi) NW earthquakes near Washtenaw County
Lucas County, OH 44 km (27 mi) S earthquakes near Lucas County
Lenawee County, MI 52 km (32 mi) WSW earthquakes near Lenawee County
Oakland County, MI 65 km (41 mi) N earthquakes near Oakland 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.