April 20, 2002 Earthquake: Clinton, Essex, Au Sable Forks, New York, United States
A magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck Clinton, Essex, Au Sable Forks, New York, United States on April 20, 2002 at 10:50:47 UTC, 11 km below the surface.
Map
Where it struck, with the other significant earthquakes within 200 km. Circles are sized and colored by magnitude; select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Date
- April 20, 2002
- Time
- 10:50:47 UTC
- Place
- Clinton, Essex, Au Sable Forks, New York, United States
- Magnitude
- 5.2 (Mw)
- Focal depth
- 11 km (7 mi)
- Intensity
- 7 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 44.513° N, 73.699° W
- Country
- United States
The toll
- Damage
- Limited (under about $1 million)
Where the literature gives no number, NCEI records a description on a scale of 1 to 4, printed here in its words. Damage is in millions of US dollars of the year of the event, not adjusted for inflation.
What the record says
NCEI’s account, from the sources it cites.
Some roads, bridges, chimneys
and water lines damaged in Clinton and Essex Counties.
Many buildings in the area had cracked walls and
foundations, broken windows and small items knocked
from shelves. Maximum intensity (VII) at Au Sable
Forks. Felt from New Brunswick and Maine to Ohio and
Michigan and from Ontario and Quebec to Maryland. (reference #1053)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
More
Significant earthquakes of 2002The 2000sEvery quake the USGS located in 2002Recent earthquakes near hereThis day in weather history
Sources
Significant earthquakes from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, Global Historical Hazard Database, cited as NCEI/WDS, doi:10.7289/V5PN93H7. Public domain. Read 2026-09-24. NCEI earthquake 5631.