M 3.0 Earthquake Near Middletown, California
Areazine synthesizes this USGS earthquake report directly from USGS's official public data feed. See our methodology for full source attribution and refresh cadence.
A magnitude 3.0 earthquake occurred 2 km north-northeast of Middletown, California, at a shallow depth of 4 km on September 10, 2026.
What this USGS earthquake report tells you, and what most readers miss
This notice was issued by USGS on May 12, 2026 and geographically references Northern California. Its severity classification of "low" signals how the issuing agency weighs the risk of harm if no action is taken - "critical" and "high" tier alerts typically carry direct consumer actions, while "medium" and "low" tend toward informational guidance or monitoring advisories. The category it belongs to - Earthquakes - determines the monitoring protocol behind it, which shapes what follow-up action (checking for structural damage, watching for aftershocks, reviewing local building codes) is relevant and which agency holds authority over the assessment.
Most readers skim a notice like this, check whether they are personally affected, and move on. The more useful lens is to verify its scope, source, and timestamp, then compare related notices without assuming that one record proves a broader trend.
Areazine pairs this record with the original agency URL so you can check the primary source before acting. Its related labels are earthquake, seismic, usgs, California.
What Happened
A magnitude 3.0 ml earthquake struck 2 km NNE of Middletown, CA, at a depth of 4 km. It occurred on September 10, 2026, at 14:38 UTC.
Location Details
The earthquake was centered at coordinates latitude 38.7693328857422 and longitude -122.608329772949, near Middletown in California. With a shallow depth of 4 km (less than 20 km, indicating it is close to the Earth's surface and more likely to be felt locally), it occurred in a region known for seismic activity.
Impact Assessment
There are no felt reports available for this event, and no tsunami advisory has been issued.
What You Should Know
This minor earthquake, with a magnitude of 3.0, is often felt but rarely causes damage. Be aware of the possibility of aftershocks, and follow general safety tips such as securing heavy items at home and knowing how to drop, cover, and hold on during shaking.
Source
Information from the United States Geological Survey: https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/nc75359541
Original source: USGS Official Notice ↗
Related Earthquakes
All Earthquakes →Nationwide notices with similar length or severity timing 8
Two Areazine-derived peer sets for this USGS earthquake report: nearest notices by body length and by same severity near the same agency date. Peers come from other categories so they are not the same-feed Related list above.
Similar body length
Nearest notices by article body length (1,071 characters here).
Similar severity timing
Same severity (low) notices issued closest in time to May 12, 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this USGS earthquake report.