Shallow M5.8 earthquake hits off the coast of Oregon
A shallow earthquake registered by the USGS as M5.8 hit off the coast of Oregon at 04:08 UTC on September 9, 2025. The agency is reporting a depth of 13.8 km (8.6 miles).
Epicenter of M5.8 earthquake off the coast of Oregon on September 9, 2025. Credit: TW/SAM, Google
The epicenter was located 165 km (102 miles) WSW of Port Oxford and 212 km (132 miles) WSW of Coos Bay, Oregon.
9 000 people are estimated to have felt light shaking and 247 000 moderate.
There is no tsunami threat from this earthquake, according to NWS NTWC.
The USGS issued a Green alert for shaking-related fatalities and economic losses. There is a low likelihood of casualties and damage.
Overall, the population in this region resides in structures that are resistant to earthquake shaking, though vulnerable structures exist. The predominant vulnerable building types are unreinforced brick masonry and reinforced masonry construction.
Recent earthquakes in this area have caused secondary hazards such as landslides and liquefaction that might have contributed to losses.
According to the USGS, there is a 6% chance of one or more aftershocks that are larger than magnitude 5, which can be damaging, within the next week. There will likely be smaller aftershocks within the next week, with up to 50 magnitude 3 or higher aftershocks, large enough to be felt nearby.
The number of aftershocks will decrease over time, but a large aftershock can temporarily increase the number of aftershocks.
Estimated population exposure to earthquake shaking
Selected cities exposed
Regional seismicity
References:
1 M5.8 earthquake off the coast of Oregon – USGS – September 9, 2025
2 M5.8 earthquake off the coast of Oregon – NTWC – September 9, 2025
I'm a dedicated researcher, journalist, and editor at The Watchers. With over 20 years of experience in the media industry, I specialize in hard science news, focusing on extreme weather, seismic and volcanic activity, space weather, and astronomy, including near-Earth objects and planetary defense strategies. You can reach me at teo /at/ watchers.news.
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