Shallow M5.7 earthquake and series of aftershocks hit Silver Springs, Nevada
A shallow earthquake registered by the USGS as M5.7 hit western Nevada near Silver Springs at 01:29 UTC on April 14, 2026. The agency is reporting a depth of 5 km (3.1 miles). The quake was followed by over 25 aftershocks by 04:26 UTC, with the strongest registered as M3.6.
Epicenter of M5.7 earthquake in western Nevada on April 14, 2026. Credit: TW/SAM, ESRI
The epicenter was located 20.7 km (12.9 miles) ESE of Silver Springs (population 5 296), 36.9 km (22.9 miles) SE of Fernley (population 19 418), and 67.8 km (42.1 miles) ESE of Sparks (population 96 094), Nevada.
5 000 people are estimated to have felt strong shaking, 38 000 moderate, 277 000 light, and 2 155 000 weak.
As of 05:12 UTC, 6 008 people filled the USGS Felt Report. Residents reported items thrown from shelves in stores near Fallon, shattered glass, and minor interior damage.
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 that might have contributed to losses.
Due to its location in the actively stretching Basin and Range province, Nevada is the third most seismically active U.S. state after Alaska and California.
According to the USGS forecast, there is a 17% 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 210 magnitude 3 or higher aftershocks. Magnitude 3 and higher aftershocks are 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.
The strongest earthquake registered in Nevada is M7.3 in Pleasant Valley on October 2, 1915, according to the University of Nevada. This earthquake ruptured the ground about 80 km (50 miles) south of Winnemucca, and left a scar along the range front that was more than 56 km (35 miles) long. In places, the ground surface was offset vertically by as much as 5.8 m (19 feet).
Damage occurred in many places, but was strongest in Pleasant Valley and in the towns of Kennedy and Winnemucca. The most devastating effects of the earthquake were on buildings on ranches in Pleasant Valley, where total and partial collapses devastated some homes and barns. These ranches were above the earthquake fault plane, which projects beneath Pleasant Valley, reaching the surface on the east side of the valley.
Damage also resulted from an earthquake phenomenon known as liquefaction.
Estimated population exposure to earthquake shaking
Selected cities exposed
Regional seismicity
References:
1 M5.7 earthquake Nevada – USGS – April 14, 2026
2 Nevada’s Great 1915 Earthquake – University of Reno – Accessed April 14, 2026
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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