According to USGS, a 2.9 magnitude quake struck from a depth of 5 km at 6:47 am today  near the town of Pleasant Hill, Louisiana. There were no reports of damage nor injuries; neither would be expected by an earthquake of this magnitude.

According to USGS, earthquakes with a magnitude of 2.0 or less are rarely felt or heard by people, but once they exceed 2.0 more and more people can feel them. While damage is possible with magnitude 3.0 events or greater, significant damage and casualties usually don’t occur until the magnitude of a seismic event rises to a 5.5 or greater rated event.

Today’s earthquake struck not far from 2 other recent earthquakes. On December 4 and December 11, a magnitude 2.7 earthquake hit near Coushatta about 10 miles to the northwest of today’s quake.

According to the Louisiana Geological Survey and Louisiana State University, earthquakes, especially strong ones, are not common in the state.  The largest earthquake in Louisiana’s history, estimated to be a magnitude of 4.2 event, woke up residents in New Orleans on October 19, 1930; the epicenter of that earthquake is believed to be near Donaldsonville.