QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.9ml

Earthquake near Centralia, WA

No earthquake was likely felt in Centralia in the 24 hours to 5:22 pm PST (01:22 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 2.9 earthquake was recorded 22 km (14 mi) east-southeast of Centralia, WA, at 2:20 pm PDT on 2 April 2024 (21:20 UTC), 24 km deep. 35 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 3 km N of Onalaska, Washington

49 km (30 mi) S of Lacey, WA · 116 km (72 mi) SSW of Seattle, WA

2:20 pm PDT, Apr 2, 2024 · · 24 km deep · released about 750 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Lewis County 26 kmThurston County 38 kmCowlitz County 46 kmWahkiakum County 65 kmPierce County 65 kmColumbia County 79 kmPacific County 82 kmSkamania County 87 kmMason County 90 km
Distance rings around the epicentre, with the nearest towns at their true direction and later quakes as coloured dots. Not a shaking map — see the USGS ShakeMap for that.
When
2:20 pm PDT on 2 April 2024 ()
Where
22 km (14 mi) east-southeast of Centralia, WA · earthquakes near Centralia
Magnitude
M 2.9 (ml)
Depth
24 km below the surface
Felt
35 reports · strongest reported intensity III
Nearest
Lewis County, 26 km E
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 883 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 23 km (14 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 750 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.9 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 20,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 14,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 1.3× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.9 about 750 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 lists 2 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km:

  1. 6.7 4 km WNW of Roy, Washington · 46 km N of this epicentre
  2. 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 46.6068, -122.7103. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Lewis County, WA 26 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

41 earthquakes have been recorded within 50 km since this one.

  1. 2.1 9 km S of Morton, Washington
  2. 2.7 7 km ESE of Mossyrock, Washington
  3. 2.6 9 km S of Morton, Washington
  4. 1.8 25 km S of Morton, Washington
  5. 1.7 5 km SW of Napavine, Washington
  6. 2.2 11 km WSW of Mineral, Washington
  7. 1.6 6 km WSW of Castle Rock, Washington
  8. 1.6 10 km NE of Castle Rock, Washington
  9. 1.6 10 km NE of Castle Rock, Washington
  10. 2.1 6 km SE of Mossyrock, Washington
  11. 2.3 5 km W of Napavine, Washington
  12. 1.5 6 km SW of Morton, Washington
  13. 1.6 8 km SSE of McKenna, Washington
  14. 1.6 19 km SSE of Mossyrock, Washington
  15. 1.6 18 km SSE of Mossyrock, 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

QuakeIndex does not issue warnings. For earthquake early warning see ShakeAlert.