M 4.2 Earthquake Near Brawley, 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 4.2 magnitude earthquake occurred 4 km west-southwest of Brawley, California, at a shallow depth of 13.7 km, and was felt by 131 people.
What this USGS earthquake report tells you, and what most readers miss
This notice was issued by USGS on May 10, 2026 and geographically references Southern California. Its severity classification of "medium" 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, Southern California.
What Happened
A magnitude 4.2 mlr earthquake struck 4 km WSW of Brawley, CA, at a depth of 13.7 km. The event occurred on September 8, 2026, at 17:37:01 UTC.
Location Details
The earthquake was centered at coordinates 32.97 latitude and -115.57 longitude, near Brawley in Southern California. At a depth of 13.7 km, it is classified as a shallow earthquake, which typically results in stronger shaking near the surface compared to deeper events.
Impact Assessment
The earthquake was felt by 131 people, with a Community Decimal Intensity (CDI) of 5.9 and a Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) of 4.67. There is no tsunami advisory, and the alert level is green.
What You Should Know
This light earthquake, with a magnitude of 4.2, may cause noticeable shaking and potential light damage to poorly constructed buildings. Aftershocks are possible following such events, and general safety tips include staying indoors and away from windows during shaking.
Source
Information from 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 (1,080 characters here).
Similar severity timing
Same severity (medium) notices issued closest in time to May 10, 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this USGS earthquake report.