M2.8 Earthquake 4 km N of West Canton, North Carolina — May 23, 2023
2023-05-23 23:28:54 UTC (2023-05-23) · approx. 5:28 PM UTC-6 local
Felt by 175 people across surrounding communities.
On May 23, 2023 at 23:28 UTC, a magnitude 2.8 shallow crustal earthquake struck 4 km N of West Canton, North Carolina, at a depth of 1.3 km and coordinates 35.5760°, -82.8617°. This earthquake was detected by 27 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 191, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 2.8 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 208 kg of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 48 m — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking
Aggregated felt-report intensity from 175 citizen responses to the USGS Did You Feel It? system. Each colored zone represents the average MMI from reports in that area.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey Did You Feel It?. View on USGS · submit your own report
Earthquake Details
-82.8617°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 2.8 earthquake near West Canton, North Carolina?
The magnitude 2.8 earthquake that struck 4 km N of West Canton, North Carolina on May 23, 2023 at 23:28 UTC had a depth of 1.3 km. For context, this was a minor earthquake typically detected only by instruments.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 35.5760°, -82.8617°, which is 4 km N of West Canton, North Carolina.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 2.8 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: se60526596). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2023, May 23, 2023). M2.8 Earthquake 4 km N of West Canton, North Carolina — May 23, 2023. Retrieved May 10, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/se60526596/