Updated April 22, 2026, 11:03 a.m. PT
Two 4.0-plus earthquakes struck Nevada on Wednesday morning, greater than every week after a 5.7 shook the northwestern part of the state.
The bigger of the 2 was a 4.73-magnitude temblor that struck southwestern Churchill County at 10:23 a.m. PDT.
A second one, 135 miles to the southeast close to Tonopah, struck a minute later. It had an initial measurement of 3.98.
The bigger quake struck round 17 miles southwest of Fallon close to Lahontan State Recreational Area, which straddles Churchill and Lyon counties about 60 miles east of Reno. That was the approximate location of the 5.7 quake that hit April 13.
That space additionally was shaken by a 3.99 quake on Sunday.
10 largest earthquakes in Nevada historical past
Significant earthquakes had been frequent in Reno’s early days. In a 55-year stretch from 1860 to 1914, seven quakes measuring 6.0 and above struck Reno, Virginia City and Carson City. One quake on Dec. 10, 1900 brought on the hot springs and geysers at Steamboat Springs to dry up.
East of Reno, Churchill County suffered six earthquakes 6.0 or larger in a five-year stretch within the Nineteen Fifties; the outcomes of a strong 7.2 quake in December 1954 are still visible in the landscape near Fallon practically 70 years later.
But prior to now six-plus a long time, northwestern Nevada hasn’t seen any earthquake larger than 6.0. The Mogul-Somersett earthquake swarm in 2008 topped out at simply 4.7, and the Galena earthquake swarm in 2018 solely reached 2.7.
Here’s a listing of Nevada’s largest recorded earthquakes:
7.2 — Fairview Peak earthquake, Dec. 16, 1954: The first of two main earthquakes that struck close to Fallon simply 4 minutes and 20 seconds aside. It was the most important of a collection of quakes that shook the world starting in summer season.
6.9 — Dixie Valley earthquake, Dec. 16, 1954: The aftershocks of the 2 Dec. 16 earthquakes had been so in depth, they had been nonetheless being recorded in 1963.
6.8 — Pleasant Valley earthquake, Oct. 3, 1915: The earthquake in rural southeastern Pershing County prompted an investigation into whether or not downtown Reno’s Majestic Theater, about 100 miles away from the epicenter, was secure for occupancy.
6.8 — Cedar Mountain earthquake, Dec. 21, 1932: The earthquake was felt strongly in Reno, cracking constructing foundations, breaking tons of of home windows and inflicting energy outages in Fallon, Fernley and Lovelock.
6.5 — Carson City earthquake, June 3, 1887: Residents of northwestern Nevada had been shaken from sleep simply earlier than 3 a.m., cracking foundations within the capital; the Reno Evening Gazette reported the quake produced a “low rumbling noise” like distant thunder.
6.5 — Stillwater earthquake, Aug. 24, 1954: This earthquake was a forerunner of a lot bigger quakes in December and presumably probably the most damaging of the yr. Buildings, roads and dams within the Fallon space had been severely broken.
6.5 — Post Canyon earthquake, March 15, 1860: Centered about 1 ½ miles southwest of the present-day Switch campus on the Tahoe-Reno Industrial Center, this quake startled residents of Carson City and Virginia City.
6.5 — Monte Cristo Range earthquake, May 15, 2020: A May 15 earthquake, magnitude 6.5, was the most important earthquake to hit Nevada for the reason that 1954 quakes. Several sections of US 95 had been broken, however no different vital injury was reported.
6.4 — Virginia City earthquake, Dec. 27, 1869: The Gold Hill Daily News mentioned the earthquake and aftershocks had been “to the infinite disgust of nearly everybody who desired sleep and rest” and puzzled “when this foolishness is going to stop.”
6.4 — Reno earthquake, April 24, 1914: The largest of a collection of earthquakes that lasted from February via April.
More vital earthquakes in Nevada historical past
Magnitude, approximate location, date
- 6.3 — Excelsior Mountains, Jan. 30, 1934
- 6.3 — California-Nevada state line east of Truckee, Sept. 3, 1857
- 6.2 — Rainbow Mountain, July 6, 1954
- 6.2 — Carson City, Dec. 27, 1869
- 6.1 — Carter Springs, Sept. 12, 1994
- 6.08 — Stagecoach, June 25, 1933
- 6 — Humboldt, Oct. 3, 1915
- 6 — Reno, Feb. 18, 1914
- 6 — Austin, Nov. 12, 1872
- 6 — Virginia City, May 30, 1868
- 5.9 — Wells, Feb. 21, 2008
- 5.9 — Winnemucca, Feb. 3, 1916
- 5.9 — Fallon, July 6, 1954
- 5.88 — Incline Village, April 24, 1914
- 5.8 — Yerington, Dec. 9, 2024
- 5.8 — Lovelock, Aug. 31, 1954
- 5.8 — Gabbs, Dec. 16, 1954
- 5.8 — Owyhee, Aug. 3, 1916
- 5.8 — Beatty, June 29, 1992
- 5.71 — Fallon, March 23, 1959
- 5.7 — Churchill County, April 13, 2026
- 5.7 — Fallon, July 6, 1954
- 5.7 — Rachel, Feb. 28, 1975
- 5.7 — Rachel, Dec. 20, 1975
- 5.7 — Goldfield, Aug. 1, 1999
- 5.65 — Caliente, Aug. 16, 1966
- 5.63 — Excelsior Mountains, Jan. 30, 1934
- 5.6 — Owyhee, Aug. 3, 1916
- 5.6 — Hawthorne, Dec. 28, 2016
- 5.6 — Hawthorne, Dec. 28, 2016
- 5.6 — Dyer, July 21, 1982
Brett McGinness is the engagement editor for the Reno Gazette Journal. He’s additionally the author of The Reno Memo — a free publication about information within the Biggest Little City. Subscribe to the newsletter right here. Consider supporting the Reno Gazette Journal, too.
