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The May 27, 1917 earthquake

M5.5Near Holtville, California

A magnitude 5.5 earthquake, centred in Imperial County. The 186th strongest in California’s record since 1900, and the strongest within 50 miles since a magnitude 5.9 on June 22, 1915.

The earthquake

Magnitude
5.5
local magnitude (ml)
Depth
—
Not recorded
Local time
Sunday, May 27, 1917
22:06 PST; 06:06 UTC on May 28, 1917
Epicentre
32.80°N, 115.30°W
In Imperial County
In California’s record
186th
strongest of 97,065 since 1900
Within 50 miles
4
counties; more on this date

USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog, event ushis613 (“Near Holtville, California”). 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

Cities, largest first

Earthquakes around the epicentre

3,964 earthquakes of magnitude 3 or more within 50 miles of this epicentre since 1973.

Earthquakes of magnitude 3 or more within 50 miles of the epicentre, by year 1973: 25 1974: 21 1975: 69 1976: 80 1977: 53 1978: 44 1979: 286 1980: 51 1981: 39 1982: 14 1983: 24 1984: 18 1985: 16 1986: 39 1987: 247 1988: 51 1989: 57 1990: 31 1991: 26 1992: 22 1993: 54 1994: 16 1995: 13 1996: 14 1997: 31 1998: 20 1999: 61 2000: 61 2001: 14 2002: 92 2003: 24 2004: 26 2005: 68 2006: 69 2007: 27 2008: 113 2009: 89 2010: 1,204 1,204 2011: 82 2012: 116 2013: 49 2014: 22 2015: 24 2016: 57 2017: 24 2018: 23 2019: 24 2020: 107 2021: 84 2022: 21 2023: 40 2024: 61 2025: 21 19731978198319881993199820032008201320182023

Earlier earthquakes of magnitude 5 or more within 50 miles, strongest first

USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog. Local time is the time zone of the county nearest the epicentre. Magnitudes are as the catalogue reports them.