The December 3, 1942 earthquake
M5.5near Wadsworth, Nevada
A magnitude 5.5 earthquake, centred in Washoe County. The 37th strongest in Nevada’s record since 1900, and the strongest within 50 miles since a magnitude 5.5 on January 11, 1939.
The earthquake
- Magnitude
- 5.5
- local magnitude (ml)
- Depth
- —
- Not recorded
- Local time
- Thursday, December 3, 1942
- 02:44 PWT; 09:44 UTC
- In Nevada’s record
- 37th
- strongest of 8,110 since 1900
USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog, event ushis1431 (“7 km N of Wadsworth, Nevada”). 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
- Washoe CountyNV · inside
- Lyon CountyNV · 4.1 mi
- Storey CountyNV · 5.1 mi
- Churchill CountyNV · 6.0 mi
- Pershing CountyNV · 20.7 mi
- Lassen CountyCA · 37.3 mi
- Sierra CountyCA · 37.3 mi
- Carson CityNV · 37.6 mi
- Nevada CountyCA · 41.4 mi
- Douglas CountyNV · 42.5 mi
- Plumas CountyCA · 43.3 mi
- Placer CountyCA · 46.0 mi
- Mineral CountyNV · 47.7 mi
Cities, largest first
- RenoNV · 31.1 mi
- SparksNV · 23.7 mi
- Carson CityNV · 44.7 mi
- FernleyNV · 11.0 mi
Earthquakes around the epicentre
281 earthquakes of magnitude 3 or more within 50 miles of this epicentre since 1973.
Earlier earthquakes of magnitude 5 or more within 50 miles, strongest first
- April 24, 1914M6.4
- June 25, 1933M6.1
- February 18, 1914M6.0
- January 11, 1939M5.5
- July 17, 1941M5.0
USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog. Local time is the time zone of the county nearest the epicentre. Magnitudes are as the catalogue reports them.