The magnitude 4.9 earthquake on March 6 was the strongest to strike this part of the United States in nearly 14 years, according to the USGS.
ByBrian Lada, AccuWeather meteorologist
Published Mar 5, 2026 9:23 AM CDT|Updated Mar 9, 2026 11:44 AM CDT
A magnitude 4.9 earthquake struck south of Shreveport on March 5, marking a rare event on the Gulf Coast. However, while rare, the central U.S. is not immune to quakes.
Amagnitude 4.9 earthquakerattled Louisiana on the morning of March 5, striking 36 miles south-southeast ofShreveport, Louisiana, according to the USGS. Preliminarily, it is the biggest earthquake recorded in state history.
The earthquake happened around 5:30 a.m. CST and occurred just 3.1 miles (5 km) below the surface.
On Monday, March 9, four more earthquakes were recorded near Edgefield, Louisiana, southeast of Shreveport, ranging from a magnitude of 3.1 to 4.0, according to the USGS.
Earthquakes above a magnitude of 4 are rare in Louisiana. Since early December, northwestern Louisiana has recorded eight earthquakes, ranging from magnitude 2.6 to 3.1.
The 4.9 quake is the strongest earthquake on land in two decades. Two strong earthquakes were recorded offshore in the Gulf, with a magnitude 5.3 on Grand Isle in 2006 and a 4.9 in 1978.
Additionally, on May 17, 2012, a magnitude 4.8 quake struck Timpson, Texas. The epicenter of the 2012 tremor was about 57 miles west of the one that was recorded on Thursday morning.
Source: Drudge Report
