The April 1, 1959 earthquake
M5.6near Loyalton, California
A magnitude 5.6 earthquake, centred in Plumas County. The 160th strongest in California’s record since 1900, and the strongest within 50 miles since a magnitude 5.6 on December 14, 1950.
The earthquake
- Magnitude
- 5.6
- local magnitude (ml)
- Depth
- —
- Not recorded
- Local time
- Wednesday, April 1, 1959
- 10:18 PST; 18:18 UTC
- In California’s record
- 160th
- strongest of 97,065 since 1900
USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog, event ushis2364 (“5 km NE of Loyalton, 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
- Plumas CountyCA · inside
- Lassen CountyCA · 2.9 mi
- Sierra CountyCA · 9.8 mi
- Nevada CountyCA · 21.5 mi
- Placer CountyCA · 29.5 mi
- Storey CountyNV · 30.1 mi
- Washoe CountyNV · 30.1 mi
- Carson CityNV · 39.5 mi
- Lyon CountyNV · 41.4 mi
- Douglas CountyNV · 43.1 mi
- Yuba CountyCA · 43.4 mi
- El Dorado CountyCA · 45.0 mi
- Butte CountyCA · 47.7 mi
- Pershing CountyNV · 49.6 mi
Cities, largest first
- RenoNV · 21.9 mi
- SparksNV · 27.6 mi
- Carson CityNV · 45.8 mi
- TruckeeCA · 25.3 mi
Earthquakes around the epicentre
383 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
- February 18, 1914M6.0
- December 29, 1948M6.0
- June 22, 1909M5.9
- December 14, 1950M5.6
- December 3, 1942M5.5
- September 25, 1953M5.3
- March 30, 1943M5.3
- May 9, 1952M5.1
- 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.