Magnitude 4.0 quake shakes Las Vegas, no damage or injuries

A moderate earthquake briefly shook the Las Vegas area on Thursday afternoon, rattling residents but causing no immediate reports of damage or injuries. The tremor was recorded at 1:47 p.m. local time.

Preliminary data from the U.S. Geological Survey and the Nevada Seismological Laboratory placed the earthquake’s magnitude between 4.0 and 4.1. The epicenter was located approximately 14 to 16 miles west of Las Vegas, near the Summerlin area, at a shallow depth of about 6 kilometers.

The shaking was felt across the Las Vegas Valley, from Summerlin to Henderson. Residents described a sudden jolt followed by a brief rolling motion, with some reporting swaying in multi-story buildings and high-rise hotels. Social media quickly filled with reactions, including one resident who likened the sensation to a train coming through the house.

Seismologists noted the earthquake occurred in the Basin and Range province, a seismically active region where the Earth’s crust is being pulled apart, creating numerous active faults. Nevada is one of the most seismically active states in the U.S., regularly recording shallow earthquakes. A recent study cataloged more than 180,000 earthquakes in the...