Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist
M 2.8ml
Earthquake near Spokane, WA
No earthquake was likely felt in Spokane in the 24 hours to 2:08 pm PST (22:08 UTC). The last one was M 1.9, 14 km (9 mi) NNE, at 10:45 am PDT on 18 September 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Spokane
This page: a magnitude 2.8 earthquake was recorded 25 km (16 mi) north-northeast of Spokane, WA, at 2:50 pm PDT on 15 May 2020 (21:50 UTC), 17 km deep. 337 people have reported feeling it to USGS.
USGS: 3 km NNE of Green Bluff, Washington
25 km (15 mi) NNE of Spokane, WA · 21 km (13 mi) N of Spokane Valley, WA
- When
- 2:50 pm PDT on 15 May 2020 ()
- Where
- 25 km (16 mi) north-northeast of Spokane, WA · earthquakes near Spokane
- Magnitude
- M 2.8 (ml)
- Depth
- 17 km below the surface
- Felt
- 337 reports · strongest reported intensity IV
- Nearest
- Spokane County, 28 km SSW
- Status
- Reviewed by a seismologist
USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 2293 days ago
Earthquake alerts for Spokane, WA
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Alerts are on for .
Not a warning. An alert comes after USGS publishes a quake, usually minutes after the shaking. For early warning use ShakeAlert, through your phone's Wireless Emergency Alerts or the MyShake app.
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 22 km (14 mi) from the epicentre. In Spokane, 25 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: Mead, Country Homes, Town and Country, Millwood, Spokane Valley, Deer Park.
How big was it?
This earthquake released about 490 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.
- Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 31,000× the energy of this one
- Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 22,000× the energy of this one
- Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 1.9× the energy of this one
- This earthquake M 2.8 about 490 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 47.8532, -117.2538. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Nearby places
| Place | Distance | Direction from the epicentre | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spokane County, WA | 28 km (18 mi) | SSW | earthquakes near Spokane County |
| Kootenai County, ID | 46 km (29 mi) | ESE | earthquakes near Kootenai County |
| Bonner County, ID | 70 km (44 mi) | NE | earthquakes near Bonner County |
| Stevens County, WA | 74 km (46 mi) | NW | earthquakes near Stevens County |
| Pend Oreille County, WA | 77 km (48 mi) | N | earthquakes near Pend Oreille County |
| Benewah County, ID | 85 km (53 mi) | SSE | earthquakes near Benewah County |
Places and coordinates from the US Census Bureau Gazetteer (2024). Distances are from the epicentre.
Aftershocks so far
49 earthquakes have been recorded within 50 km since this one.
- 1.8 5 km WNW of Rockford Bay, Idaho
- 1.0 7 km NNE of Airway Heights, Washington
- 1.9 2 km NE of Fairwood, Washington
- 2.1 4 km NW of Rockford Bay, Idaho
- 2.2 2 km NW of Mead, Washington
- 1.7 9 km WSW of Newport, Washington
- 1.8 6 km SSW of Athol, Idaho
- 1.6 3 km ESE of Veradale, Washington
- 1.7 4 km SSW of Liberty Lake, Washington
- 1.6 13 km NNW of Athol, Idaho
- 1.6 13 km SSE of Liberty Lake, Washington
- 1.9 6 km NNW of Priest River, Idaho
- 1.8 2 km NNE of Fairwood, Washington
- 2.3 2 km NNE of Fairwood, Washington
- 1.8 20 km NE of Deer Park, Washington
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
- The official USGS event page — the source of record for every value above
- Did you feel it? Report it to USGS — reports go to USGS, not to us
- ShakeMap for this event, when USGS has produced one
QuakeIndex does not issue warnings. For earthquake early warning see ShakeAlert.