PlainQuake

U.S. state profile · USGS ComCat

Earthquakes in Nebraska

Nebraska has catalogued 2 M4+ earthquakes since 2005 (ranked 28th of 39 U.S. states), with the strongest reaching magnitude M4.1.

Nebraska ranks 28th of 39 U.S. states and territories by catalogued seismic activity - a state with limited seismic activity, averaging about 0 M4+ events a year alongside 0 significant M6+ earthquakes since 1900. Below: the full M6+ event history, magnitude and depth profile, and yearly trend.

2
M4+ events (since 2005)
0
Major M6+ (since 1900)
M4.1
Strongest
~0
M4+ per year

The verdict

Nebraska is below the global median in catalogued seismic activity, with 2 M4+ earthquakes logged since 2005 and 0 major M6+ events since 1900, the strongest reaching magnitude 4.1.

N/A
no yearly breakdown available
N/A
average recorded event depth
0%
of events are shallow (<70 km, the most damaging kind)

Average catalogued magnitude is 4.1 - most events are moderate tremors felt but rarely damaging. On the M4+ activity ladder Illinois sits immediately above at 3 events and Delaware sits immediately below at 1.

USGS ComCat event tape

Event tape NE · Nebraska M4+ · 28th/39

Nebraska · 2 M4+ · max M4.1 · 0 M6+

  • SHAL 2
  • PCT 28th/39
  • VS-PEER M4.1
  • COMCAT 0
  • TAPE near Illinois
  • EPIC Mar 1, 2026

Stamps derive from this jurisdiction's USGS ComCat row (M4+ book, rank, peak magnitude, M6+ record, ladder neighbour, depth/peak year), not a hazard forecast. PlainQuake is informational only - not professional advice and not a substitute for official USGS guidance. See our disclaimer. Verify with USGS ComCat → · Read with methodology → · How earthquakes are measured → · Most active U.S. regions → · All state catalog rows → · States ranked →

1. Delaware12. Florida13. Kentucky14. Nebraska25. Missouri26. Illinois3
M4+ catalog count for Nebraska and nearest-count peers. Source: USGS ComCat, 2005–present.

Where Nebraska sits in the catalog

Rank 28th of 39 tracked U.S. states and territories (26th percentile by M4+ count since 2005). On the M4+ activity ladder Illinois sits immediately above at 3 events and Delaware sits immediately below at 1.

No M6+ events on the significant record

Nebraska has catalogued M4+ activity since 2005 but zero magnitude-6.0-and-above events in the USGS significant series back to 1900. The nearest tracked jurisdiction that does carry an M6+ record is Arizona (7 M4+ · 3 M6+).

Same M4+ count, broken by peak magnitude

2 tracked jurisdictions share Nebraska's exact catalogued count of 2 M4+ events since 2005. Among that cohort, Nebraska ranks 1st of 2 by strongest recorded magnitude (M4.1).

State M4+ count Strongest
Nebraska (this page) 2 M4.1
Missouri 2 M4.0

Seismic hazard context

Catalogued counts on this page are history, not a building-code hazard map. Nebraska's latest M4+ catalog entry is dated Mar 1, 2026. For the national PGA design-basis tiers, see the seismic risk maps guide or the USGS National Seismic Hazard Model.

Peak-magnitude sample from the same roster

A second Nebraska-keyed shuffle of states with a recorded max magnitude (independent order from the frequency sample above).

According to the US Geological Survey Earthquake Hazards Program, PlainQuake's figures are rendered directly from 317,293 recorded M4+ earthquakes and 14,444 significant M6+ events (USGS ComCat, 2005-present) -- no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-08-26.