3.8

M3.8 Earthquake 2 km E of Oak Harbor, WashingtonJuly 2, 2026

2026-07-02 06:35:47 UTC (2026-07-02) · approx. 10:35 PM UTC-8 local

Felt by 2,030 people across a wide area.

MagnitudeM3.8(ml)
Time06:35 UTC10:35 PM UTC-8
Depth25.4 kmshallow crustal
Coordinates48.289°, -122.606°
Felt by2,030DYFI responses· max MMI 3.3
Status✓ Reviewed by USGS

On July 2, 2026 at 06:35 UTC, a magnitude 3.8 shallow crustal earthquake struck 2 km E of Oak Harbor, Washington, at a depth of 25.4 km and coordinates 48.2888°, -122.6065°. The earthquake was reported felt by 2,030 peopleacross a wide area, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 3.3 (light). This earthquake was detected by 124 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 602, making it a moderate-impact event.

Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 3.8 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 7.6 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 252 m — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.

The epicenter is located in Washington, a region characterized by the Cascadia Subduction Zone, where the Juan de Fuca Plate subducts beneath North America and is capable of producing M9+ megathrust earthquakes. The nearest mapped fault system is the Cascadia Subduction Zone. View all earthquakes in Washington.

Learn more: Cascadia Subduction Zone · Magnitude scale · Aftershock sequences

Map showing earthquake epicenter at 48.29°, -122.61°

ShakeMap — predicted shaking intensity

Modeled ground-motion intensity contoured on the Modified Mercalli scale (MMI). Computed by the USGS from the moment-tensor solution and regional ground-motion prediction equations.

USGS ShakeMap intensity contours for the M3.8 earthquake near 2 km E of Oak Harbor, Washington

Source: U.S. Geological Survey ShakeMap. View interactive ShakeMap on USGS

Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking

Aggregated felt-report intensity from 2,030 citizen responses to the USGS Did You Feel It? system. Each colored zone represents the average MMI from reports in that area.

USGS DYFI community-reported intensity map for the M3.8 earthquake near 2 km E of Oak Harbor, Washington

Source: U.S. Geological Survey Did You Feel It?. View on USGS · submit your own report

Earthquake Details

Magnitude
3.8 ml
Depth
25.4 km
shallow crustal
Location
48.2888°N
-122.6065°E
Felt Reports
2,030
DYFI responses
Intensity (MMI)
3.3
light
Community Intensity
3.8
CDI from reports

Technical Information

Event ID
uw714040221
Event Type
earthquake
Status
✓ Reviewed
Significance
602
Stations Used
124
Azimuthal Gap
15.0°
Min Station Distance
0.018°
RMS Residual
0.17 sec
Last Updated
2026-08-12 08:10:59 UTC

Common Questions

How strong was the magnitude 3.8 earthquake near Oak Harbor, Washington?

The magnitude 3.8 earthquake that struck 2 km E of Oak Harbor, Washington on July 2, 2026 at 06:35 UTC had a depth of 25.4 km. It was felt by 2,030 people with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 3.3 (light). For context, this was a minor earthquake typically detected only by instruments.

Where did the earthquake occur?

The earthquake epicenter was located at 48.2888°, -122.6065°, which is 2 km E of Oak Harbor, Washington. View all earthquakes in Washington.

Were there aftershocks?

Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 3.8 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.

Has Washington had earthquakes this big before?

The largest recorded earthquake in Washington was the M7.4 offshore earthquake of April 13, 1949. Today's magnitude 3.8 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.

Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: uw714040221). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.

Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2026, July 2, 2026). M3.8 Earthquake 2 km E of Oak Harbor, WashingtonJuly 2, 2026. Retrieved August 12, 2026 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/uw714040221/