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4.1-Magnitude Earthquake Shakes Las Vegas Valley

USGS forecasting models show a moderate short-term chance of aftershocks and officials report no confirmed major damage.

Overview

  • The quake measured about 4.1 and struck roughly 14–15 miles west of Las Vegas at about 1:47 p.m. Thursday, according to USGS and regional seismologists.
  • About 30 seismic stations, including sensors from the University of NevadaReno, recorded the temblor and fed data used to produce rapid ShakeMap estimates of shaking intensity.
  • Thousands of felt reports to the USGS described mostly light shaking (Modified Mercalli Intensity IV), and there have been no confirmed reports of serious injuries or structural damage.
  • USGS short-term forecasts give a moderate chance of aftershocks — roughly a 26% chance of magnitude 3.0+ in 24 hours and about a 5% chance of 4.0+ — so monitoring will continue.
  • Nearby projects and tourist sites, including Universal Horror Unleashed, reported no operational impact, and officials urged simple preparedness steps such as drop, cover and hold on and securing loose objects.