M 3.5 Earthquake Strikes 4 km East of Covelo, 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 3.5 earthquake occurred 4 km east of Covelo, California, at a shallow depth of 6.25 km, and was felt by at least one person.
What this USGS earthquake report tells you, and what most readers miss
This notice was issued by USGS on May 3, 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.
Earthquake in Northern California
What Happened
A magnitude 3.48 ml earthquake occurred 4 km east of Covelo, California, at a depth of 6.25 km. The event took place on February 14, 2026, at 12:39:27 UTC.
Location Details
The earthquake was centered at coordinates 39.80° N, 123.20° W, near Covelo in Northern California. At a shallow depth of 6.25 km, which is less than 20 km, it could result in more noticeable shaking near the epicenter.
Impact Assessment
One person reported feeling the earthquake. There is no tsunami advisory, and no alert level has been issued.
What You Should Know
This minor earthquake, with a magnitude of 3.48, is often felt but rarely causes damage. Aftershocks are possible following such events. For safety, if shaking is felt, individuals should drop to the ground, cover under a sturdy object, and hold on until the shaking stops.
Source
Information from the United States Geological Survey (USGS). Event Page
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 (1,028 characters here).
Similar severity timing
Same severity (low) notices issued closest in time to May 3, 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this USGS earthquake report.