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A shallow and significant MAG-5.0 earthquake struck in the North Pacific Ocean 80 miles from Eureka, The United States in the evening of Wednesday November 4th, 2026. Such earthquakes in regions like this usually have a minimal impact on people and the economy.

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Earthquake Summary

This earthquake hit under water in the North Pacific Ocean, 84 miles (135 km) off the coast of The United States, 80 miles west of Eureka in California. The center of this earthquake had a very shallow depth of 6 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.

Date and Time: Nov 4, 2026 08:56PM (Los Angeles Time)
- Nov 5, 2026 04:56 Universal Time.
Location: 80 mi west of Eureka, California, The United States.
Coordinates 40°24'26"N 125°35'7"W.
Map: Map of area around epicenter.
Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps.
Magnitude: MAG 5.0
Detected by 30 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.2 .
Depth: 6 mi (10 km)
A very shallow depth.
Max. Intensity:
III
Weak

On the Modified Mercalli Scale.
Tsunami Risk: Low tsunami risk
Earthquakes under MAG-6.5 do not usually 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 95% 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.

Not many people felt this earthquake

People MMI Level Shaking Damage
0
I
Not noticable None
0
II
Very weak None
0
III
Weak Probably none
0
IV
Light Likely none
0
V
Moderate Very light
0
VI
Strong Light
0
VII
Very Strong Moderate
0
VIII
Severe Moderate to heavy
0
IX
Violent Heavy
0
X
Extreme Very heavy

Nearby towns and cities

This earthquake may have been felt in The United States . Located 80 miles (128 km) west of the epicenter of this earthquake, Eureka (California, The United States) is the nearest significant population center. The intensity of shaking and damage in Eureka is estimated to be around level II on the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale (very weak shaking, no damage).

A complete list of nearby places is included below. Estimated intensity data (MMI) sourced from a shake-map published by the US Geographic Survey is shown where available (cities without data probably experienced little impact).

Overview of nearby places

Distance Place Intensity (MMI)
80 mi (128 km)
E from epicenter
Eureka

California, The United States.
II
Weak
85 mi (137 km)
E from epicenter
Arcata

California, The United States.
II
Weak
85 mi (137 km)
E from epicenter
Bayside

California, The United States.
II
Weak
86 mi (139 km)
NE from epicenter
McKinleyville

California, The United States.
II
Weak
153 mi (247 km)
SE from epicenter
Ukiah

California, The United States.
II
Weak
168 mi (271 km)
E from epicenter
Redding

California, The United States.
183 mi (294 km)
NE from epicenter
Grants Pass

Oregon, The United States.
Cities and Towns around the epicenter of this earthquake.

Earthquake Intensity Map

The maximum intensity (MMI Scale) caused by this earthquake is III. 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
Earthquake Intensity Map based on Shakemap Data provided by USGS.

Risk of aftershocks?

We monitor for foreshocks or aftershocks that have a magnitude of 2.5+ and occur within 100km (62 mi) of the epicenter of this earthquake. So far no such earthquakes have been detected.

Earthquakes can create aftershocks. These are generally at least 1 magnitude lower than any main shock, and as time passes the chance and strength of aftershocks decreases.

In only six percent of cases, significant earthquakes are followed by a larger main shock, making the current earthquake a foreshock. While the chance of this happening is not so large, it is adviced to maintain cautiousness in the hours and days following a major earthquake.

Read: How to Stay Safe during an Earthquake (cdc.gov).

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 June 24th, 2026, when a 5.6 magnitude earthquake hit 144 mi (232 km) further south-east. An even stronger magnitude 7 earthquake struck on December 5th, 2024.

In total, 35 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5 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 3 months.

Low tsunami risk

DISCLAIMER: We strongly suggest to closely monitor advice from local authorities with regards to tsunami risks. Our analysis is based on automatically collected data from external sources, and these might contain mistakes. In addition, earthquakes can cause landslides that may lead to a tsunami, or be a followed by another, potentially stonger, earthquake.

Based on early data it appears this earthquake was not strong enough (lower than MAG-6.5) to be likely to cause destructive tsunami's. However this earthquake appeared to have hit at a shallow depth under sea, so stay cautious and monitor advice from local authorities.

Tsunami Risk Factors

Factor Under Sea? MAG-6.5 or stronger? Shallow depth?
Explanation Almost all tsunami's are caused by earthquakes with their epicenter under sea or very near the sea. However stay cautious in coastal areas as earthquakes on land may cause landslides into sea, potentially still causing a local tsunami. Under MAG 6.5: Very unlikely to cause a tsunami.
MAG 6.5 to 7.5: Destructive tsunami's do occur, but are uncommon. Likely to observe small sea level changes.
MAG 7.6+: Earthquakes with these magnitudes might produce destructive tsunami's.
Most destructive tsunami's are caused by shallow earthquakes with a depth between 0 and 100km under the surface of the earth. Deeper tsunami's are unlikely to displace to ocean floor.
This Earthquake This earthquake appears to have struck under the sea. Not this earthquake.
This earthquake had a magnitude of 5. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami.
This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 6 mi (10 km). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami.

Sources

Last updated 05/11/26 13:58 (). 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 nc75462637
  2. European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20261105_0000070
  3. Geonames.org: World Cities Database
  4. Google Maps: Static API
  5. Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database

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