On Sunday Morning a Shallow M4.7 Earthquake struck near Reno in The United States.

Written by Earthquakelist.org on April 19th, 2026.

Under land 43 miles from Reno in The United States, a shallow MAG-4.7 earthquake occurred in the morning of Sunday April 19th, 2026. Shaking may have been felt by a total of 2.7 million people.

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Earthquake Summary

The earthquake struck on land in The United States, 43 miles (69 km) south-east of Reno in Nevada. The center of this earthquake had a very shallow depth of 4 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.

Date and Time:	Apr 19, 2026 07:39AM (Los Angeles Time) - Apr 19, 2026 14:39 Universal Time.
Location:	43 mi SE of Reno, Nevada, The United States. Coordinates 39°16'7"N 119°5'9"W.
Map:	Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps.
Magnitude:	MAG 4.7 Detected by 287 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.018 .
Depth:	4 mi (6 km) A very shallow depth.
Max. Intensity:	VII Very Strong On the Modified Mercalli Scale.
Tsunami Risk:	Tsunami very unlikely While this was a shallow earthquake, it appears to have occurred under land with a magnitude not strong enough to cause tsunami's. Always stay cautious - More info here.

Minimal impact predicted

Based on scientific estimates by the US Geographic Survey (USGS), the risk of high fatalities for this earthquake is classified at level GREEN (low). They expect an 90% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 fatalities.

The USGS classifies the economic impact of this earthquake at level GREEN (low). They expect an 90% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 million US Dollars in economic damage and impact.

Roughly 2.7 million people exposed to shaking

This earthquake may have been felt by around 2.7 million people. That is the expected population size of the area exposed to a level of shaking of II or higher on the Modified Mercalli scale according to the USGS.

Strong shaking and probably light damage may have been experienced by an estimated 20 people. At VI, it is the highest MMI level this earthquake has caused. Intensity level II was experienced by the majority of people (around 2.4 million). In their region, very weak shaking and no damage can be expected.

Nearby towns and cities

This earthquake may have been felt in The United States . Fernley in Nevada, The United States is the nearest significant place from the epicenter. The earthquake occurred 25 miles (40 km) south of Fernley. The intensity of shaking and damage in Fernley is estimated to be around level III on the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale (weak shaking, probably no damage).

Multiple large cities are in proximity of today's earthquake. Reno is located 43 mi to the northwest and experienced an intensity of II (very weak shaking, no damage). Sacramento is located 138 mi to the west (intensity unknown, possibly low). Fresno is located 178 mi to the south (intensity unknown, possibly low).

The table below provides an overview of all places in proximity of today's earthquake. Where available, the estimated intensity on the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale in each place is included. Places where this information is omitted likely experienced little impact.

Overview of nearby places

Earthquake Intensity Map

The maximum intensity (MMI Scale) caused by this earthquake is VII. The map below shows in which areas this earthquake was the most and least impactful. It is based on data from the US Geographic Survey.

I Not felt

II Weak

III Weak

IV Light

V Moderate

VI Strong

VII Very Strong

VIII Severe

IX Violent

X Extreme

5 Aftershocks detected

After this earthquake struck, 5 smaller aftershocks occurred. Just 3 hrs after this main shock, an earthquake measuring MAG-3 was detected 6 mi (10 km) north-east of this earthquake.

In the days before this main shock, 14 smaller foreshocks were detected. A 4.2 magnitude earthquake hit 2 hrs earlier nearby.

Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks

More earthquakes coming?

The risk of aftershocks decreases rapidly over time. Usually, aftershocks are at least one order of magnitude lower than a main shock.

The chance that a significant earthquake like this one is followed by an even larger earthquake is not so large. On average, scientists estimate a 94% chance that a major earthquake will not be followed by an even larger one. It is still adviced to be aware of this risk

Earthquakes like this happen often in the region

Earthquakes of this strength are very common in the region. This is the strongest earthquake to hit since April 14th, 2026, when a 5.7 magnitude earthquake hit 6 mi (10 km) further north-east. An even stronger magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck on May 15th, 2020.

In total, 28 earthquakes with a magnitude of 4.7 or higher have been registered within 300km (186 mi) of this epicenter in the past 10 years. This comes down to an average of once every 4 months.

Tsunami very unlikely

While MAG-6.5+ earthquakes may cause tsunami's, it appears that the epicenter of this earthquake hit under land. In addition, the reported depth is deeper than 100km, making the risk of a tsunami even less likely. However always stay cautious and monitor advice from local authorities.

Tsunami Risk Factors

Sources

Last updated 19/04/26 22:48 (). As more information on this earthquake becomes available this article will be updated. This article is automatically composed based on data originating from multiple sources.

1. US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake nn00915543
2. European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260419_0000280
3. Geonames.org: World Cities Database
4. Google Maps: Static API
5. Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database

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