Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist
M 3.1ml
Earthquake near Centralia, WA
No earthquake was likely felt in Centralia in the 24 hours to 3:53 pm PST (23:53 UTC). The last one was M 4.2, 78 km (49 mi) NNE, at 2:05 pm PDT on 29 September 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 9,329 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Centralia
This page: a magnitude 3.1 earthquake was recorded 22 km (14 mi) east-southeast of Centralia, WA, at 8:42 pm PDT on 11 September 2020 (03:42 UTC), 25 km deep. 31 people have reported feeling it to USGS.
USGS: 3 km NNE of Onalaska, Washington
49 km (30 mi) S of Lacey, WA · 116 km (72 mi) SSW of Seattle, WA
- When
- 8:42 pm PDT on 11 September 2020 ()
- Where
- 22 km (14 mi) east-southeast of Centralia, WA · earthquakes near Centralia
- Magnitude
- M 3.1 (ml)
- Depth
- 25 km below the surface
- Felt
- 31 reports · strongest reported intensity IV
- Nearest
- Lewis County, 25 km E
- Status
- Reviewed by a seismologist
USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 2182 days ago
Earthquake alerts for Centralia, WA
Get a notification in this browser when USGS records an earthquake near Centralia, WA. No account or email needed.
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 31 km (19 mi) from the epicentre. In Centralia, 22 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.
Likely felt in: Centralia 22 km, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.
How big was it?
This earthquake released about 1,200 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 4.1 would have released about 32 times as much.
- Northridge, California 1994 M 6.7 290,000× the energy of this one
- Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 13,000× the energy of this one
- Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 9,100× the energy of this one
- This earthquake M 3.1 about 1,200 lb of TNT
- Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 this one released 1.2× more
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 lists 2 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km:
- 6.7 4 km WNW of Roy, Washington · 46 km N of this epicentre
- 5.2 23 km S of Morton, Washington · 46 km SE of this epicentre
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 46.6067, -122.7080. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Nearby places
| Place | Distance | Direction from the epicentre | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lewis County, WA | 25 km (16 mi) | E | earthquakes near Lewis County |
| Thurston County, WA | 38 km (23 mi) | NNW | earthquakes near Thurston County |
| Cowlitz County, WA | 46 km (28 mi) | S | earthquakes near Cowlitz County |
| Wahkiakum County, WA | 65 km (40 mi) | WSW | earthquakes near Wahkiakum County |
| Pierce County, WA | 65 km (40 mi) | NE | earthquakes near Pierce County |
| Columbia County, OR | 79 km (49 mi) | SSW | earthquakes near Columbia County |
Places and coordinates from the US Census Bureau Gazetteer (2024). Distances are from the epicentre.
Aftershocks so far
40 earthquakes have been recorded within 50 km since this one.
- 1.8 10 km NE of Castle Rock, Washington
- 1.6 9 km NE of Castle Rock, Washington
- 1.9 3 km WNW of Winlock, Washington
- 1.7 11 km SSW of Morton, Washington
- 2.2 11 km SSW of Morton, Washington
- 2.0 Washington
- 1.5 3 km W of Winlock, Washington
- 1.6 15 km E of Castle Rock, Washington
- 1.9 14 km WSW of Alder, Washington
- 2.1 8 km SSW of Morton, Washington
- 2.0 21 km E of Castle Rock, Washington
- 1.7 3 km W of Winlock, Washington
- 1.5 4 km ESE of Chehalis, Washington
- 2.8 21 km E of Castle Rock, Washington
- 1.5 21 km E of Castle Rock, 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.