A small earthquake struck a few hundred miles west of Tampa, Florida, and south of New Orleans, Louisiana, on Sunday night, a region that doesn’t often see such reports.
The magnitude‑3.9 quake struck in the Gulf of America just after 10:20 p.m. local time on Sunday night, registering a depth of 10 kilometers, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported. No damage or injuries were reported, and only one person claimed to have felt the quake, according to the USGS’s “felt it” report.
Newsweek reached out to the USGS by email for comment.
The quake occurred offshore in the Gulf, placing it near—but not directly affecting—coastal communities. Because of its offshore location, shaking was likely limited to areas closest to the epicenter. Quakes of this magnitude can produce vibrations that can cause some hanging items indoors to swing. People outside might also feel a quake of this magnitude.
The location of the quake’s epicenter was around 270 miles south of Louisiana and 377 miles west of Tampa, Florida. According to USGS reports, no other quakes have been recorded in the same area within the last three weeks. No tsunami alerts were issued.
Although it was unlikely the quake rattled nearby Gulf states, it still drew the attention of some social media accounts.
“GULF EARTHQUAKE: A 3.9 magnitude occurred last night just before 10:23 PM ET. While this doesn’t happen every day, it’s not unheard of to have earthquakes in that area. Back in 2006, a 5.9 magnitude occurred…the largest on record in the Gulf,” Florida meteorologist Matt Devitt posted on X.
“The Gulf had an Earthquake last night. Yes it’s true. Occurred around 10:22pm Sunday 03/29 south of New Orleans and west of Tampa,” Mike’s Weather Page posted on X. “Was rather shallow with a depth of 10.0km. No tsunami alerts were issued. Maybe just a ‘hold my beer’ alert. Kinda uncommon. But it does happen. Maybe that Great White shark out there did a big ol’ belly flop?”
Although Gulf quakes aren’t as common as quakes off the West Coast, the recent earthquake follows a string of similar events that hit northwest Louisiana, WAFB reported, the largest of which was a 4.9 magnitude quake that struck on March 5. Shaking was felt widely with that earthquake, which was the second-largest in the state’s history, the report said.
The USGS has reported several other earthquakes across the world in the time since the Gulf quake struck on Sunday night. In the U.S., several quakes were reported along the coast of California, with a few also reported in western Texas.
