Moderate magnitude 4.5 earthquake at 5 km depth5 Aug 22:23 UTC: First to report: USGS after 1 minute.5 Aug 22:24: Hypocenter depth recalculated from 9.00 to 4.54 km (from 5.6 to 2.8 mi).Update Wed, 5 Aug 2026, 22:27Moderate magnitude 4.5 quake hits 61 miles northwest of Ukiah, California, United States early afternoonAn earthquake of magnitude 4.5 occurred early afternoon on Wednesday, August 5th, 2026, at 3:21 pm local time near Ukiah, Mendocino County, California, USA, as reported by the United States Geological Survey.According to preliminary data, the quake was located at a very shallow depth of 2.8 miles. Shallow earthquakes are felt more strongly than deeper ones as they are closer to the surface. The exact magnitude, epicenter, and depth of the quake might be revised within the next few hours or minutes as seismologists review data and refine their calculations, or as other agencies issue their report.Based on the preliminary seismic data, the quake should not have caused any significant damage, but was probably felt by many people as light vibration in the area of the epicenter.Weak shaking might have been felt in Alderpoint (pop. 190) located 14 miles from the epicenter, Covelo (pop. 1,300) 19 miles away, Redway (pop. 1,200) 21 miles away, Laytonville (pop. 1,200) 23 miles away, Brooktrails (pop. 3,200) 40 miles away, Willits (pop. 4,900) 42 miles away, Fort Bragg (pop. 7,300) 44 miles away, and Ukiah (pop. 15,900) 61 miles away.VolcanoDiscovery will automatically update magnitude and depth if these change and follow up if other significant news about the quake become available. If you're in the area, please send us your experience through our reporting mechanism, either online or via our mobile app. This will help us provide more first-hand updates to anyone around the globe who wants to know more about this quake.If you were or still are in this area during the quake help others with your feedback and report it here.Download the Volcanoes & Earthquakes app and get one of the fastest seismic alerts online: Android | iOSI didn't feel itI felt this quakeEarthquake detailsDate & timeAug 5, 2026 22:21:57 UTC - Local time at epicenterWednesday, Aug 5, 2026, at 10:21 pm (Universal Time GMT +0)Statusconfirmed (manually revised)Magnitude4.45Depth4.5 kmEpicenter latitude / longitude40.0192°N / 123.4518°WTrinity County, California, United StatesSeismic antipode40.0192°S / 56.5482°EQuality44 seismic stationsShaking intensityV Moderate shaking near epicenterFelt1 reportPrimary data sourceUSGS (United States Geological Survey)Nearest volcanoClear Lake (131 km / 81 mi)Weather at epicenter at time of quakeClear Sky 30.6°C (87 F), humidity: 34%, wind: 5 m/s (9 kts) from WEstimated seismic energy released3.5 x 1011 joules (98.6 megawatt hours, equivalent to 84.8 tons of TNT) | equivalent to ONE quake of magnitude 4.5 | about seismic energy17 minutes ago reported feltAug 5, 2026 22:21 GMT / Aug 5, 2026 10:21 pm (Universal Time)Lat / Lng: 40.01917 / -123.45184: 31 km NW of Covelo, CASource: USGSOther sources: EMSC: 4.5 / 17 kmDetail info | Read user reports | You felt it? - Report it!';storedMarkers.push(['quake-23247751',40.01917,-123.45184,'17 minutes ago: Mag. 4.5, 31 km NW of Covelo, CA',html,'quakes-6-24.png',25,25,12,12,125]); function mkRep(id,notFelt){var nFelt=notFelt||false;var src="https://www.volcanoesandearthquakes.com/app/earthquake-report.php?quakeId="+id;if(nFelt==true){src+="¬Felt=true";}window.open(src,"","status=0,toolbar=0,location=0,directories=0,menubar=0,resizable=1,scrollbars=1,height=400,width=350");} function locationHashChanged(e){-1!=e.oldURL.indexOf("#popupMap")&&closePopup()} window.onhashchange = locationHashChanged; function comment(e){var t=e.parentNode,a=(t.dataset.id,document.getElementById("commentForm"));"none"==a.style.display?(t.appendChild(a),a.style.display="block"):a.style.display="none"}function sendComment(e){var t=e.parentNode,a=t.parentNode.dataset.id,n=document.getElementById("commentContent"),p=n.value.trim();if(p){var o="id="+a+"&quakeId="+thisQuakeId;o+="&comment="+decodeURIComponent(p),mkRequest("//reports.volcanodiscovery.com/app/eqReportComment.php","post",o,function(e){e.responseText;alert("Thank you for submitting your comment!"),t.style.display="none",n.value=""})}}function flagReport(e){var t=e.parentNode.dataset.id;if(confirm("Report this as inappropriate?")){var a="id="+t+"&quakeId="+thisQuakeId+"&flagAsInappropriate=1";mkRequest("//reports.volcanodiscovery.com/app/eqReportComment.php","post",a,function(t){var a=t.responseText;alert(a),e.style.display="none"})}}function likeReport(e){var t="id="+e.parentNode.dataset.id+"&quakeId="+thisQuakeId+"&like=1";mkRequest("//reports.volcanodiscovery.com/app/eqReportComment.php","post",t,function(t){t.responseText;e.style.opacity=.5})}]]>[smaller] [bigger]Ground shaking from this quakeMap of estimated ground shaking (source:USGS)Ground accelleration map for this quakeMap of estimated ground accelleration (source:USGS)Most recent quakes Top 20 past 24 hrs Quakes in the US CaliforniaNearby placesThe closest larger town where the quake might have been felt is Ukiah, a town with 16,000 inhabitants in the United States, in 99 km (61 mi) distance south of the epicenter. People likely experienced weak shaking there. Many smaller towns and villages are located closer to the epicenter and might have experienced stronger shaking.The following table shows some of the places that might have been affected (or not) by the shaking.DistancePlaceMax. shaking intensity(*)RegionCountry22 km (14 mi)NW of epicenterAlderpoint(pop: 186)IV: LightHumboldt County, CaliforniaUnited States28 km (17 mi)SW of epicenterLeggett(pop: 122)IV: LightMendocino County, CaliforniaUnited States30 km (19 mi)N of epicenterRuth(pop: 195)IV: LightTrinity County, CaliforniaUnited States31 km (19 mi)SE of epicenterCovelo(pop: 1,260)IV: LightMendocino County, CaliforniaUnited States34 km (21 mi)W of epicenterRedway(pop: 1,230)IV: LightHumboldt County, CaliforniaUnited States37 km (23 mi)S of epicenterLaytonville(pop: 1,230)III: WeakMendocino County, CaliforniaUnited States40 km (25 mi)NW of epicenterMiranda(pop: 520)III: WeakHumboldt County, CaliforniaUnited States48 km (30 mi)N of epicenterMad River(pop: 420)III: WeakTrinity County, CaliforniaUnited States53 km (33 mi)W of epicenterShelter Cove(pop: 693)III: WeakHumboldt County, CaliforniaUnited States64 km (40 mi)N of epicenterHayfork(pop: 2,370)III: WeakTrinity County, CaliforniaUnited States68 km (42 mi)S of epicenterWillits(pop: 4,860)III: WeakMendocino County, CaliforniaUnited States71 km (44 mi)SW of epicenterFort Bragg(pop: 7,290)III: WeakMendocino County, CaliforniaUnited States77 km (48 mi)NW of epicenterRio Dell(pop: 3,390)III: WeakHumboldt County, CaliforniaUnited States87 km (54 mi)S of epicenterRedwood Valley(pop: 1,730)III: WeakMendocino County, CaliforniaUnited States88 km (55 mi)NW of epicenterFortuna(pop: 12,000)III: WeakHumboldt County, CaliforniaUnited States90 km (56 mi)E of epicenterRancho Tehama Reserve(pop: 1,490)III: WeakTehama County, CaliforniaUnited States90 km (56 mi)NE of epicenterWeaverville(pop: 3,600)III: WeakTrinity County, CaliforniaUnited States94 km (58 mi)NE of epicenterLewiston(pop: 1,190)III: WeakTrinity County, CaliforniaUnited States99 km (61 mi)S of epicenterUkiah(pop: 15,900)III: WeakMendocino County, CaliforniaUnited States105 km (65 mi)E of epicenterRed Bluff(pop: 14,100)III: WeakTehama County, CaliforniaUnited States105 km (65 mi)NW of epicenterBayside(pop: 17,100)III: WeakHumboldt County, CaliforniaUnited States106 km (66 mi)NW of epicenterEureka(pop: 27,000)III: WeakHumboldt County, CaliforniaUnited States108 km (67 mi)NW of epicenterArcata(pop: 17,800)III: WeakHumboldt County, CaliforniaUnited States109 km (68 mi)E of epicenterCorning(pop: 7,550)III: WeakTehama County, CaliforniaUnited States109 km (68 mi)NE of epicenterAnderson(pop: 10,200)III: WeakShasta County, CaliforniaUnited States110 km (68 mi)NE of epicenterRedding(pop: 91,600)III: WeakShasta County, CaliforniaUnited States111 km (69 mi)E of epicenterOrland(pop: 7,550)III: WeakGlenn County, CaliforniaUnited States117 km (73 mi)NW of epicenterMcKinleyville(pop: 15,200)II: Very weakHumboldt County, CaliforniaUnited States117 km (73 mi)NE of epicenterLake Shasta(pop: 10,200)II: Very weakShasta County, CaliforniaUnited States121 km (75 mi)SE of epicenterWillows(pop: 6,070)II: Very weakGlenn County, CaliforniaUnited States138 km (86 mi)SE of epicenterClearlake(pop: 15,200)II: Very weakLake County, CaliforniaUnited States140 km (87 mi)S of epicenterCloverdale(pop: 8,810)II: Very weakSonoma County, CaliforniaUnited States142 km (88 mi)E of epicenterChico(pop: 121,300)II: Very weakButte County, CaliforniaUnited States159 km (99 mi)E of epicenterParadise(pop: 26,500)II: Very weakButte County, CaliforniaUnited States162 km (100 mi)E of epicenterMagalia(pop: 11,300)II: Very weakButte County, CaliforniaUnited States165 km (102 mi)S of epicenterHealdsburg(pop: 11,700)II: Very weakSonoma County, CaliforniaUnited States185 km (115 mi)SE of epicenterSouth Yuba City(pop: 15,200)II: Very weakSutter County, CaliforniaUnited States185 km (115 mi)SE of epicenterYuba City(pop: 66,900)II: Very weakSutter County, CaliforniaUnited States208 km (129 mi)SE of epicenterWoodland(pop: 58,600)II: Very weakYolo County, CaliforniaUnited States232 km (144 mi)SE of epicenterSacramento(pop: 524,900)II: Very weakCaliforniaUnited StatesNotes:(*) Shaking intensity according to the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale (MMI) and estimated using seismic models.User-reports for this quake (2)So far, we have received 2 reports for this quake. This section is being updated as new data comes in.User reports estimate the perceived ground shaking intensity according to the MMI (Modified Mercalli Intensity) scale.Translate77.1 km NW of epicenter [Map] / Light shaking (MMI IV) (reported through our app)347.2 km SE of epicenter [Map] / not felt (reported through our app)What is Intensity and the Mercalli Intensity Scale?The amount of shaking that occurs on the surface due to an earthquake is called the intensity. It is commonly measured on the so-called Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale (MMI) ranging from 1 (not felt) to 10 (extreme shaking), and given in Roman numerals as I,II,...IX, X, and often displayed with color codes ranging from light blue to dark red.Earthquake intensity depends mainly on the magnitude and depth of the quake as well as the distance from the epicenter: The further away, the less shaking intensity occurs.Read more about the MMI scale!Number of reports by intensityShaking intensityNumber of reportsMin-Max distance from epicenter (*)Average distance (*)I: Not felt1347–347 km (216–216 mi)347 km (216 mi)IV: Light shaking177–77 km (48–48 mi)77 km (48 mi)Notes(*) Reports are filtered to exclude those that are likely highly inaccurate or esaggerated.Only reports with latitude/longitude coordinate positions given (2 in total) could be used for geographic statistics.Get the Android appI didn't feel itI felt this quakeIf you were near the epicenter and felt it, please share your experience and submit a short "I felt it" report! Other users would love to hear about it!If you did NOT feel the quake although you were in the area, please report it as well! Your contribution is valuable to earthquake science and seismic hazard analysis.Compare Quake DataData for the same earthquake as reported by different agenciesThe more agencies report about the same quake and post similar data, the more confidence you can have in the data. It takes normally up to a few hours until earthquake parameters are calculated with near-optimum precision.MagDepthTime GMT2026-08-5EpicenterAgency4.454.5 km2.8 mi22:21:57.3831 km NW of Covelo, CAUSGS (United States Geological Survey)4.517 km10.4 mi22:21:58.285NORTHERN CALIFORNIA2.2 km (1.3 mi) epicenter difference with USGSEMSC (European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre)Aftershocks for this quakeNo aftershocks have been recorded so far. When aftershocks are detected, we will update this section.What are aftershocks?Larger earthquakes (above magnitude 5 or so) such as this one are usually followed by smaller ones known as aftershocks that occur in the same area during the days, weeks, months or even years after the main shock.[More info]What about this quake?Based on its magnitude, the fault that was active during the quake likely ruptured beneath a surface area of approximately 3 km2 (1 square miles) as a first-order estimate. The length of the rupture zone thus was probably around 3 km (2 mi).[More info]Recorded aftershocks, latest first (0 quake)Aug 5, 2026 10:21 pm (Universal Time)17 minutes ago4.54.5 km0 km - This quakeTrinity County, 61 mi N of Ukiah, Mendocino County, California, United StatesMain Shock (this quake)MoreMap of aftershocksEarthquake statisticsAverage number of earthquakesBased on data from the past 56 years and our earthquake archive back to 1900, there are about 825 quakes on average per year in the area near the epicenter of this quake (within 100 km/61 mi):Mag. 6 or higher: 0.05 quakes per year (or 1 quake every 21.3 years)Mag. 5 or higher: 0.37 quakes per year (or 1 quake every 2.7 years)Mag. 4 or higher: 3.1 quakes per yearMag. 3 or higher: 22 quakes per yearMag. 2 or higher: 286 quakes per year (or 23.8 quakes per month)Mag. 1 or higher: 808 quakes per year (or 67 quakes per month)The area where this quake occurred has a high level of seismic activity. It has had at least 6 quakes above magnitude 6 since 1900, which suggests that larger earthquakes of this size occur infrequently, probably on average approximately every 20 to 25 years.Number of quakes per yearPrevious quakes in the same area of this earthquake