The October 18, 1916 earthquake
M5.1Near Irondale, Alabama
A magnitude 5.1 earthquake 8.7 miles deep, centred in Jefferson County. The strongest in Alabama’s record since 1900, and the strongest within 50 miles in the catalogue, which runs from 1900.
The earthquake
- Magnitude
- 5.1
- body-wave magnitude (mb)
- Depth
- 8.7 mi
- 14.0 km below the surface
- Local time
- Wednesday, October 18, 1916
- 16:04 CST; 22:04 UTC
- In Alabama’s record
- 1st
- strongest of 141 since 1900
USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog, event official19161018220400000 (“Near Irondale, Alabama”). The USGS event page carries the ShakeMap, felt reports and the official summary.
Counties and cities within 50 miles
Distance from the epicentre to each county boundary (zero when inside) and to each city centre.
Counties
- Jefferson CountyAL · inside
- Shelby CountyAL · 2.7 mi
- St. Clair CountyAL · 9.5 mi
- Blount CountyAL · 18.6 mi
- Talladega CountyAL · 20.0 mi
- Walker CountyAL · 23.3 mi
- Bibb CountyAL · 25.7 mi
- Tuscaloosa CountyAL · 26.2 mi
- Cullman CountyAL · 28.7 mi
- Coosa CountyAL · 30.0 mi
- Chilton CountyAL · 30.2 mi
- Calhoun CountyAL · 34.2 mi
- Etowah CountyAL · 35.9 mi
- Clay CountyAL · 36.4 mi
- Winston CountyAL · 41.4 mi
- Fayette CountyAL · 42.3 mi
- Cleburne CountyAL · 46.8 mi
- Marshall CountyAL · 47.2 mi
- Tallapoosa CountyAL · 48.9 mi
- Perry CountyAL · 49.4 mi
Cities, largest first
- BirminghamAL · 5.9 mi
- HooverAL · 10.7 mi
- Vestavia HillsAL · 3.4 mi
- AlabasterAL · 21.0 mi
- HomewoodAL · 6.9 mi
- TrussvilleAL · 13.3 mi
- PelhamAL · 12.5 mi
- BessemerAL · 18.0 mi
- HelenaAL · 18.4 mi
- OxfordAL · 48.4 mi
- Mountain BrookAL · 2.1 mi
- CullmanAL · 47.5 mi
Earthquakes around the epicentre
9 earthquakes of magnitude 3 or more within 50 miles of this epicentre since 1973.
No earlier earthquake of magnitude 5 or more within 50 miles in the catalogue since 1900.
USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog. Local time is the time zone of the county nearest the epicentre. Magnitudes are as the catalogue reports them.