The September 25, 1953 earthquake
M5.3near Verdi, Nevada
A magnitude 5.3 earthquake, centred in Washoe County. The 57th strongest in Nevada’s record since 1900, and the strongest within 50 miles since a magnitude 5.6 on December 14, 1950.
The earthquake
- Magnitude
- 5.3
- local magnitude (ml)
- Depth
- —
- Not recorded
- Local time
- Friday, September 25, 1953
- 20:34 PDT; 03:34 UTC on Sep 26, 1953
- In Nevada’s record
- 57th
- strongest of 8,110 since 1900
USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog, event ushis1903 (“1 km NNE of Verdi, 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
- Sierra CountyCA · 6.0 mi
- Nevada CountyCA · 6.0 mi
- Lassen CountyCA · 12.5 mi
- Placer CountyCA · 14.8 mi
- Plumas CountyCA · 15.2 mi
- Storey CountyNV · 15.2 mi
- Carson CityNV · 23.2 mi
- Lyon CountyNV · 24.0 mi
- Douglas CountyNV · 28.9 mi
- El Dorado CountyCA · 32.0 mi
- Alpine CountyCA · 41.4 mi
- Churchill CountyNV · 42.6 mi
- Pershing CountyNV · 47.0 mi
Cities, largest first
- RenoNV · 7.1 mi
- SparksNV · 14.4 mi
- Carson CityNV · 28.9 mi
- FernleyNV · 42.2 mi
- South Lake TahoeCA · 41.6 mi
- TruckeeCA · 16.9 mi
Earthquakes around the epicentre
377 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
- December 29, 1948M6.0
- December 14, 1950M5.6
- December 3, 1942M5.5
- March 30, 1943M5.3
- May 9, 1952M5.1
- December 17, 1942M5.1
- March 3, 1909M5.0
USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog. Local time is the time zone of the county nearest the epicentre. Magnitudes are as the catalogue reports them.