M3.5 earthquake 2 km NE of Barker Heights, North Carolina
A magnitude 3.5 earthquake struck 2 km NE of Barker Heights, North Carolina on Tue, May 5, 1981, 5:21 PM EDT (21:21 UTC), 10 km (6 mi) below the surface.
Map
Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Magnitude
- 3.5 (mb_lg), minor
- Local time
- UTC
- 1981-05-05 21:21:56 UTC
- Depth
- 10.2 km (6.3 mi), shallow
- Epicenter
- 35.327° N, 82.422° W
- Region
- North Carolina
- Strongest shaking
- IV, light shaking
- Tsunami flag
- No
- Status
- Reviewed by a seismologist
Shaking
The USGS ShakeMap: shaking estimated from seismic stations and the quake’s size, on the Modified Mercalli intensity scale.
- Strongest estimated
- IV, light shaking
- Peak ground acceleration
- 7.0% of gravity
- Peak ground velocity
- 0.0 cm/s
- Map
- Automatic
Did you feel it?
No one has reported feeling this quake to the USGS.
How well it is located
Reviewed by a seismologist.
- Depth from
- From location
- Station coverage gap
- 77°
- Stations used
- 29
Nearest places
Distance and direction from each place to the epicenter, with its forecast.
Nearby
Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 1 in the 60 days after this one and 3 in the 30 days before it.
After
Before
Earthquakes todayNorth Carolina earthquakesLive radar here
Sources
From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event se60121 (also filed as ushis3716, usp0001dhy). Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 9:12 AM UTC.