Largest Quake Detected in the Eastern United States
M2.14 5 km NE of Clinchport, Virginia
12 hours ago · Depth 5.2 km

Recent Eastern United States Earthquakes (Past 24 Hours)

• M2.14
  5 km NE of Clinchport, Virginia

  Jul 6, 2026 06:18 UTC · Depth 5.2 km

Source: USGS

Eastern United States Earthquakes – Current Map & Latest Quakes

The Eastern United States is not as active as the West Coast, but earthquakes still happen across the region. Shaking can occur in South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, Florida, New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New England, and along parts of the Appalachian region.

This page tracks the latest available Eastern United States earthquake activity using USGS-based earthquake data. The map, recent earthquake list, statistics, and significant quake information update when the page loads or refreshes. For a wider view, you can also compare this page with the United States earthquakes page or the latest available worldwide earthquake list.

Each marker on the map represents an earthquake location. Click one to see its magnitude, location, time, and depth. Use the time filter buttons to view earthquakes from the last hour, 24 hours, 7 days, or 30 days.

Eastern United States Earthquake Map

Eastern United States earthquakes (map loads with JavaScript)

🔍 Contextualizing Today’s Eastern U.S. Seismicity
The live map above tracks current tremors across the region. While today’s events may be small, the geological structures behind them have a powerful history. Below is an overview of why the Eastern U.S. experiences these earthquakes, how they behave differently from West Coast events, and where the major hazard zones sit.

About Eastern United States Earthquakes

Earthquakes in the Eastern United States are different from earthquakes in California, Alaska, or the Pacific Northwest. The East Coast is far from an active plate boundary, so most earthquakes here are intraplate earthquakes. That means they happen inside the North American Plate, often on old buried faults that are hard to see at the surface.

That does not make eastern earthquakes unimportant. The 1886 Charleston earthquake in South Carolina was one of the most damaging earthquakes in U.S. history. The 2011 Virginia earthquake was felt across a huge part of the eastern U.S. and Canada. More recently, the 2024 New Jersey earthquake was felt by millions across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. Sources: University of South Carolina: The Charleston Earthquake of 1886, USGS event page: 2011 Virginia M5.8 earthquake, and USGS event page: 2024 New Jersey M4.8 earthquake

The Eastern United States also has a different shaking pattern. Because much of the crust east of the Rocky Mountains is older and more continuous, earthquake waves can travel farther than they often do in the western U.S. A moderate earthquake in Virginia, South Carolina, New Jersey, or New England may be felt across several states even if damage is limited near the epicenter.

The Hidden Faults: Why the East Coast Shakes

The Eastern United States sits inside the North American Plate, not on the edge of a major active plate boundary. But the crust beneath the region is not perfectly quiet. It contains ancient faults, rift zones, mountain-building structures, and buried weaknesses left behind by the opening of the Atlantic Ocean and the earlier formation of the Appalachian Mountains.

Many of these faults are old and hidden below soil, sediment, forests, cities, rivers, and coastal plains. In places like South Carolina, Virginia, New England, and the Appalachians, earthquakes can occur when stress in the crust reactivates one of these older structures.

This is why Eastern United States earthquake risk can be harder to picture than West Coast risk. There may not be a visible fault line like the San Andreas Fault, but buried faults can still produce noticeable shaking. The 1886 Charleston earthquake and 2011 Virginia earthquake are two of the clearest reminders that the eastern U.S. has real earthquake history.

Main Earthquake Areas in the Eastern United States

Earthquakes in the Eastern United States are not spread evenly. Some areas have a stronger earthquake history than others, and some are watched more closely because of past damaging events or repeated small earthquakes.

• Charleston and central South Carolina: : A History of Big Shaking South Carolina is one of the more important earthquake areas in the eastern U.S., partly because of the damaging 1886 Charleston earthquake and partly because the state is still active today. Charleston remains the best-known historic earthquake zone, but recent activity has also drawn attention inland. Since late 2021, an ongoing swarm near Elgin in Kershaw County has produced many small earthquakes, and later activity around places such as Lake Greenwood, Lake Murray, and Monticello shows that South Carolina earthquake activity is not limited to the coast. Sources: University of South Carolina: The Charleston Earthquake of 1886
• Central Virginia Seismic Zone: Central Virginia includes the Louisa County and Mineral area, where the 2011 M5.8 earthquake occurred. That event affected Richmond, Washington, D.C., parts of Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York, and many other areas because shaking travelled widely through the eastern crust. Source: USGS event page: 2011 Virginia M5.8 earthquake
• Giles County and the Appalachian region: Western Virginia, West Virginia, western North Carolina, and parts of the southern Appalachians have a history of occasional earthquakes. Many are small, but the region matters because older Appalachian structures can still produce felt shaking. The 1897 Giles County earthquake remains one of the key historical events for this part of the Appalachians.
• Carolinas and Georgia: North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia can experience small to moderate earthquakes. The Charleston area is the best-known historic source, but inland earthquakes and earthquake swarms can also happen in the Carolinas and nearby parts of Georgia. The 2020 Sparta, North Carolina earthquake is a recent example of a stronger southern Appalachian event. Source: USGS event page: 2020 Sparta, North Carolina M5.1 earthquake
• Northeast and New York-New Jersey region: New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and nearby states occasionally feel earthquakes. The April 2024 New Jersey M4.8 earthquake was a recent reminder that the Northeast can have widely felt earthquakes even when severe damage is limited. Source: USGS event page: 2024 New Jersey M4.8 earthquake
• New England and Cape Ann area: New England has a long earthquake history, including the 1755 Cape Ann earthquake near Massachusetts. Earthquakes in this region can be felt across multiple states because seismic waves travel efficiently through older eastern North American crust.
• Northern New York and the St. Lawrence region: Earthquakes near northern New York and the New York-Ontario-Quebec border can be felt across both the northeastern United States and eastern Canada. The 1944 Cornwall-Massena earthquake is the main historical example for this area. Source: Natural Resources Canada: 1944 Cornwall-Massena earthquake
• Florida and the Southeast coast: Florida has fewer local earthquakes than many other eastern states, but people in Florida can sometimes feel shaking from distant eastern U.S. earthquakes, offshore events, or earthquakes in nearby regions. Coastal ground conditions and tall buildings can also affect how weak shaking is noticed.

The Main Types of Eastern United States Earthquakes

Eastern United States earthquakes are easier to understand when grouped into three broad aspects: their intraplate setting, their connection to old faults or rift zones, and their ability to be widely felt across a region.

Intraplate Earthquakes

Most Eastern United States earthquakes are intraplate earthquakes. They happen inside a tectonic plate instead of along an active plate boundary. These earthquakes are usually less frequent than West Coast earthquakes, but they can still be damaging if they are shallow, close to people, or under vulnerable buildings.

South Carolina, Virginia, New England, and parts of the Appalachians all show how intraplate earthquakes can still matter. The faults involved may be ancient, buried, or poorly mapped, which makes the source harder to explain to the public than a visible plate-boundary fault.

Old Fault and Rift-Zone Earthquakes

Some eastern earthquakes are linked to old zones of weakness in the crust. The Charleston seismic area is associated with old buried structures near the South Carolina coastal plain. Virginia earthquakes are linked to older Appalachian and Piedmont structures. New England earthquakes may also involve ancient faults that were formed or reactivated during earlier episodes of mountain building and Atlantic rifting.

The difficult part is that these faults are often hidden below thick sediment, forested land, farms, roads, and cities. That makes local earthquake risk harder to see at the surface.

Widely Felt Regional Earthquakes

A noticeable East Coast earthquake may be felt far from its epicentre. This is one of the main differences between eastern and western U.S. earthquakes. A moderate earthquake in Virginia, South Carolina, New Jersey, or New England can produce felt reports across several states.

This does not mean every eastern earthquake is dangerous. Many are small. But it does mean people may feel shaking even when the epicentre is hundreds of miles away.

Why Eastern U.S. Earthquakes Can Be Felt So Far Away

Eastern U.S. earthquakes often travel farther than people expect. A similar-sized earthquake in California may be felt strongly near the epicentre but fade more quickly with distance. In the East, seismic waves can move through older, colder, more continuous rock and be felt across a much wider area.

The 2011 Virginia earthquake is a clear example. It was not a giant earthquake by global standards, but it was felt across a huge area and caused damage well beyond the immediate epicentral region. The 2024 New Jersey earthquake was smaller, but it was still felt across the New York City area, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and other parts of the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. Sources: USGS event page: 2011 Virginia M5.8 earthquake and USGS event page: 2024 New Jersey M4.8 earthquake

This wide felt area is one reason Eastern United States earthquakes can surprise people. A quake may be centred in rural Virginia, South Carolina, or New Jersey, but people in big cities such as Washington, D.C., New York City, Philadelphia, Boston, Richmond, Raleigh, Charlotte, Atlanta, or Charleston may still notice shaking.

This is why people in the Eastern United States sometimes feel earthquakes from surprisingly far away. The earthquake may not be large enough to cause major damage, but the shaking can still be noticed across several states. That wide felt area is one reason events such as the 2011 Virginia earthquake and 2024 New Jersey earthquake attracted so much attention.

Earthquake Hazards in the Eastern United States

The main earthquake hazard is ground shaking, but the Eastern United States has its own risk factors. Many communities have older buildings, brick structures, historic downtowns, bridges, tunnels, coastal infrastructure, and major population centres that were not built with frequent earthquakes in mind.

• Ground shaking: Strong shaking can damage buildings, roads, bridges, schools, hospitals, utilities, rail lines, tunnels, and older masonry structures.
• Older brick and masonry buildings: Many eastern towns and cities have older brick buildings, historic homes, churches, schools, and downtown blocks. These can be more vulnerable to shaking than newer earthquake-resistant construction.
• Soft soils and coastal sediments: River valleys, coastal plains, marshland, filled land, and low-lying urban areas can shake differently from nearby bedrock. This matters in places such as Charleston, Savannah, Norfolk, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, New York City, Boston, and other coastal or river cities.
• Liquefaction: Loose, water-saturated sediment can lose strength during strong shaking. This is a concern for parts of the South Carolina Lowcountry, coastal plains, riverbanks, and filled land.
• Landslides and rockfalls: Mountainous and hilly areas, including parts of the Appalachians and Blue Ridge, may be vulnerable to slope failures during stronger shaking.
• Infrastructure disruption: The Eastern United States has dense road, rail, airport, port, power, water, and communications networks. Even moderate shaking can cause inspections, closures, and disruption if bridges, tunnels, rail lines, airports, or public buildings need to be checked.
• Aftershocks: Larger earthquakes can be followed by aftershocks. These may be smaller than the main event, but they can still be felt and may worry people in areas not used to earthquake activity.

Historical and Recent Eastern United States Earthquakes

The Eastern United States has a long earthquake history. Some older events are less certain because they happened before modern instruments, but they still show that damaging earthquakes are possible east of the Rockies.

• 1755 Cape Ann, Massachusetts earthquake: This was one of the most important historical earthquakes in New England. It damaged chimneys and buildings in the Boston area and was felt across a wide region of the Northeast. Source: Massachusetts Historical Society: The Cape Ann Earthquake of 1755
• 1886 Charleston, South Carolina earthquake: The Charleston earthquake caused severe damage in Charleston and surrounding areas and remains the most important historical earthquake for the southeastern U.S. The University of South Carolina describes it as by far the largest earthquake in the southeastern United States. Source: University of South Carolina: The Charleston Earthquake of 1886
• 1897 Giles County, Virginia earthquake: This earthquake affected western Virginia and parts of the Appalachian region. It remains one of the important historical earthquakes for Virginia and the central Appalachians.
• 1944 Cornwall-Massena earthquake: This earthquake occurred near the New York-Ontario border and was felt across parts of the northeastern United States and eastern Canada. It is one of the most important historical earthquakes for northern New York and the St. Lawrence region. Source: Natural Resources Canada: 1944 Cornwall-Massena earthquake
• 2003 Central Virginia Earthquake, M4.5: Often referred to locally as the Farmville earthquake, this moderate event was centered near the Cumberland-Powhatan border. It was felt across a remarkably wide footprint, including North Carolina, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. proving that the Central Virginia Seismic Zone was highly active well before the larger 2011 event.
• 2011 Mineral, Virginia earthquake, M5.8: This was one of the most important modern earthquakes in the Eastern United States. It was centred near Mineral and Louisa County, Virginia, and was felt across a very large region, including Washington, D.C., the Mid-Atlantic, parts of the Northeast, and parts of Canada. Source: USGS event page: 2011 Virginia M5.8 earthquake
• 2020 Sparta, North Carolina earthquake, M5.1: This earthquake affected northwestern North Carolina and was one of the stronger recent earthquakes in the southern Appalachian region. It was a reminder that eastern U.S. earthquake activity is not limited to the coast or the Northeast. Source: USGS event page: 2020 Sparta, North Carolina M5.1 earthquake
• 2024 New Jersey earthquake, M4.8: The April 2024 New Jersey earthquake was felt across the New York City region, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and other parts of the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. It is the most important recent example of a widely felt Northeast earthquake. Source: USGS event page: 2024 New Jersey M4.8 earthquake
• Recent South Carolina earthquake swarms: South Carolina has had repeated small earthquakes in recent years, especially around areas watched because of the state’s earthquake history. Most of these events are minor, but they keep earthquake awareness relevant in the Carolinas and show that the Charleston region is not only a historical concern.

Not Every Eastern United States Earthquake Is the Same

It is easy to group all Eastern United States earthquakes together, but they do not all have the same source or risk.

A Charleston-area earthquake may be linked to buried structures beneath the South Carolina coastal plain. A Virginia earthquake may be related to old Appalachian or Piedmont faults. A New Jersey or New England earthquake may come from a different buried fault system. A Florida tremor may be local, distant, or offshore depending on the event.

Magnitude, depth, distance, building type, and local ground conditions all matter. A smaller shallow earthquake close to a city may feel stronger than a larger event farther away. A moderate earthquake under older brick buildings or soft ground may also create more concern than the same magnitude event in a less vulnerable setting.

The main takeaway is simple: Eastern United States earthquake risk is lower than in the most active western states, but it is not zero. The region has real earthquake history, and the shaking can travel far.

Earthquake Preparedness in the Eastern United States

Earthquake preparedness in the Eastern United States should be practical. Most people here will not experience frequent earthquakes, but older buildings, dense cities, bridges, tunnels, schools, hospitals, and major transport systems make preparation worthwhile.

Eastern United States Earthquake Safety Checklist

• Know “Drop, Cover, and Hold On” for earthquake shaking. Source: Great ShakeOut earthquake safety guidance
• Secure tall furniture, shelves, mirrors, TVs, appliances, water heaters, and heavy objects that could fall.
• Keep emergency water, food, medication, flashlights, batteries, a first-aid kit, and copies of important documents.
• Know safe places inside your home, school, or workplace, away from windows, glass, bookcases, and heavy items.
• If you are indoors during shaking, stay indoors, drop, cover, and hold on. Do not run outside while bricks, glass, signs, or power lines may be falling.
• If you are outside, move away from buildings, glass, power lines, bridges, and anything that could fall.
• After shaking stops, check for injuries, damaged utilities, gas smells, fire hazards, unstable buildings, and aftershocks.
• If you live in an older brick or masonry building, know where the safest interior spaces are and consider securing heavy items before an earthquake happens.
• Have an out-of-area contact and a family communication plan in case phones, roads, schools, or workplaces are disrupted.
• Follow official local emergency instructions after a noticeable earthquake, especially if there are reports of building damage, bridge inspections, utility damage, or aftershocks.
• Earthquake hazards in the East may be less frequent, but they spread far. Bookmark our Global Live Tracking Map to monitor the latest available magnitude changes, seismic station updates, and shifting active swarms across the Eastern United States and globally.

How Eastern United States Earthquakes Are Monitored

Earthquakes in the Eastern United States are monitored by national, regional, state, and university-based seismic networks. These networks help locate earthquakes, estimate magnitudes, collect felt reports, and improve understanding of regional earthquake hazards.

• USGS Earthquake Hazards Program: Provides national earthquake event data, reviewed earthquake pages, hazard information, and felt-report tools used across the United States. Source: USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
• University of Memphis CERI: The Center for Earthquake Research and Information provides seismic resources and monitoring information for the central and eastern United States, including recent earthquake maps, catalogs, station links, felt reports, and ShakeMap resources. Source: University of Memphis CERI Seismic Information
• South Carolina Seismic Network: The University of South Carolina’s seismic resources are useful for understanding the Charleston earthquake history and South Carolina earthquake activity. Source: University of South Carolina
• New England regional monitoring: New England earthquakes are also monitored by regional and university-based seismic resources, including networks focused on Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and nearby areas.
• Great ShakeOut: Provides public earthquake safety guidance, including the Drop, Cover, and Hold On message used in earthquake preparedness education. Source: Great ShakeOut earthquake safety guidance

🗺️ Related Maps

View broader region: North America Earthquakes | United States Earthquakes

View nearby regions: Central United States | Eastern Canada

View active U.S. maps: California | Alaska | Hawaii | Yellowstone | Nevada | Oregon

You can also view the latest available worldwide earthquake list.