M 4.5 Earthquake Strikes 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 4.5 magnitude earthquake occurred 2 km west-northwest of Brawley, California, on July 10, 2026, at 18:39:29 UTC, at a depth of 16.21 km.
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, California.
What Happened
An earthquake with a magnitude of 4.5 mw struck 2 km WNW of Brawley, California, at a depth of 16.21 km. The event occurred on July 10, 2026, at 18:39:29 UTC.
Location Details
The earthquake was centered at coordinates 32.99° N, 115.55° W, near Brawley in Southern California. At a depth of 16.21 km, it is classified as a shallow earthquake (less than 20 km), which can result in more noticeable surface shaking.
Impact Assessment
The earthquake was reported as felt by 116 people. There is no tsunami advisory, and the alert level is green.
What You Should Know
This light earthquake may cause noticeable shaking but is unlikely to result in damage. Aftershocks are possible following such events. For safety, if shaking occurs, drop to the ground, cover your head and neck, and hold on to a sturdy object.
Source
Information from the United States Geological Survey (USGS): https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/ci41460512
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 (1,034 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.