M2.5 earthquake 1 km ESE of Ridgely, Tennessee
A magnitude 2.5 earthquake struck 1 km ESE of Ridgely, Tennessee on Thu, Oct 22, 1981, 5:33 AM CDT (10:33 UTC), 7 km (5 mi) below the surface.
A larger quake followed: M3.0 5 km N of Dyersburg, Tennessee. This one was a foreshock.
Map
Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Magnitude
- 2.5 (Md, duration), micro
- Magnitude from
- NM
- Local time
- UTC
- 1981-10-22 10:33:30 UTC
- Depth
- 7.4 km (4.6 mi), shallow
- Epicenter
- 36.260° N, 89.470° W
- Region
- Tennessee
- Tsunami flag
- No
- Status
- Reviewed by a seismologist
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
Nearest places
Distance and direction from each place to the epicenter, with its forecast.
Nearby
Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 7 in the 60 days after this one and 6 in the 30 days before it.
After
- 2.44 km SSW of Caruthersville, Missouri · 16415 days ago · 11 km deep · 22 km away
- 1.77 km SSW of Samburg, Tennessee · 16415 days ago · 5 km deep · 9 km away
- 2.37 km N of Dyersburg, Tennessee · 16403 days ago · 9 km deep · 20 km away
- 3.05 km N of Dyersburg, Tennessee · 16399 days ago · 14 km deep · 21 km away
- 1.92 km NNW of Blytheville, Arkansas · 16389 days ago · 12 km deep · 54 km away
- 1.75 km E of Marston, Missouri · 16387 days ago · 6 km deep · 30 km away
- 2.110 km SSE of New Madrid, Missouri · 16383 days ago · 3 km deep · 27 km away
Before
- 2.01 km NE of North Lilbourn, Missouri · 16417 days ago · 5 km deep · 41 km away
- 1.76 km E of Steele, Missouri · 16429 days ago · 8 km deep · 32 km away
- 1.510 km S of Hornbeak, Tennessee · 16431 days ago · 7 km deep · 15 km away
- 1.67 km SSE of Tiptonville, Tennessee · 16435 days ago · 7 km deep · 8 km away
- 2.54 km WSW of Howardville, Missouri · 16438 days ago · 8 km deep · 37 km away
- 2.34 km WSW of Howardville, Missouri · 16440 days ago · 10 km deep · 37 km away
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Sources
From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nm601591. Read Fri, Oct 2, 2026, 5:38 AM UTC.