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The April 30, 1918 earthquake

M5.0near Calexico, California

A magnitude 5.0 earthquake, centred in Imperial County. The 451st strongest in California’s record since 1900, and the strongest within 50 miles since a magnitude 5.5 on May 27, 1917.

The earthquake

Magnitude
5.0
local magnitude (ml)
Depth
—
Not recorded
Local time
Tuesday, April 30, 1918
21:32 PDT; 04:32 UTC on May 1, 1918
Epicentre
32.70°N, 115.50°W
In Imperial County
In California’s record
451st
strongest of 97,065 since 1900
Within 50 miles
3
counties; more on this date

USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog, event ushis633 (“2 km N of Calexico, 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

4,320 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: 38 1974: 25 1975: 82 1976: 102 1977: 60 1978: 46 1979: 292 1980: 52 1981: 43 1982: 20 1983: 39 1984: 22 1985: 17 1986: 43 1987: 251 1988: 59 1989: 65 1990: 39 1991: 29 1992: 26 1993: 54 1994: 18 1995: 13 1996: 14 1997: 35 1998: 34 1999: 77 2000: 64 2001: 17 2002: 92 2003: 28 2004: 32 2005: 73 2006: 84 2007: 38 2008: 122 2009: 107 2010: 1,261 1,261 2011: 91 2012: 126 2013: 59 2014: 28 2015: 25 2016: 59 2017: 27 2018: 23 2019: 26 2020: 109 2021: 85 2022: 23 2023: 40 2024: 65 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.