The September 17, 1961 earthquake
M5.1near Amboy, Washington
A magnitude 5.1 earthquake 4.3 miles deep, centred in Skamania County. The 17th strongest in Washington’s record since 1900, and the strongest within 50 miles in the catalogue, which runs from 1900.
The earthquake
- Magnitude
- 5.1
- local magnitude (ml)
- Depth
- 4.3 mi
- 7.0 km below the surface
- Local time
- Sunday, September 17, 1961
- 08:55 PDT; 15:55 UTC
- In Washington’s record
- 17th
- strongest of 5,002 since 1900
USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog, event ushis2517 (“28 km ENE of Amboy, Washington”). 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
- Skamania CountyWA · inside
- Cowlitz CountyWA · 6.3 mi
- Clark CountyWA · 6.3 mi
- Klickitat CountyWA · 24.5 mi
- Hood River CountyOR · 25.9 mi
- Multnomah CountyOR · 27.6 mi
- Yakima CountyWA · 28.8 mi
- Columbia CountyOR · 33.5 mi
- Wasco CountyOR · 39.7 mi
- Lewis CountyWA · 40.8 mi
- Clackamas CountyOR · 41.4 mi
- Washington CountyOR · 43.6 mi
- Pierce CountyWA · 49.9 mi
Cities, largest first
- PortlandOR · 42.1 mi
- VancouverWA · 35.1 mi
- GreshamOR · 39.1 mi
- LongviewWA · 41.2 mi
- Happy ValleyOR · 44.8 mi
- CamasWA · 32.7 mi
- Battle GroundWA · 26.4 mi
- MilwaukieOR · 46.6 mi
- WashougalWA · 32.3 mi
- RidgefieldWA · 30.0 mi
- TroutdaleOR · 35.9 mi
- St. HelensOR · 35.3 mi
Earthquakes around the epicentre
1,256 earthquakes of magnitude 3 or more within 50 miles of this epicentre since 1973.
USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog. Local time is the time zone of the county nearest the epicentre. Magnitudes are as the catalogue reports them.