M4.5 earthquake 21 km S of Morton, Washington

A magnitude 4.5 earthquake struck 21 km S of Morton, Washington on Tue, May 12, 1981, 10:00 PM PDT (05:00 UTC), 9 km (6 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M4.6 22 km ESE of Packwood, Washington. This one was a foreshock.

Map

Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.

The USGS ShakeMap: shaking estimated from seismic stations and the quake’s size, on the Modified Mercalli intensity scale.

No one has reported feeling this quake to the USGS.

Reviewed by a seismologist.

Distance and direction from each place to the epicenter, with its forecast.

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 70 in the 60 days after this one and 24 in the 30 days before it.

The first 60 of 70.

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event uw10101583 (also filed as usp0001dnc). Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 5:57 AM UTC.