You probably think you’re safe. If you live in a place like Ohio or South Carolina, the idea of the ground beneath your feet suddenly turning into liquid seems like a California problem. Or maybe an Alaska problem. We’ve all seen the movies where the Hollywood sign crumbles, right? But the reality of where do earthquakes occur in the US is actually a lot more unsettling—and widespread—than most people realize.
The ground moves. Constantly.
While the West Coast gets all the press because of the San Andreas Fault, the United States is actually a patchwork of seismic zones. Some are loud and frequent. Others are "dead" zones that wake up once every two centuries to cause absolute chaos. If you're planning a move or just wondering why your windows rattled last night, understanding the geography of American seismic activity is basically a requirement for modern living.
💡 You might also like: Why Lane Motor Museum Murfreesboro Pike Nashville TN is the Weirdest Garage You Need to See
The Usual Suspects: The Pacific Ring of Fire
It’s no secret that California is the heavyweight champion of American quakes. But have you ever looked at why? It’s not just one crack in the earth. It's a complex, messy intersection of the Pacific Plate and the North American Plate. They are sliding past each other in what geologists call a transform plate boundary.
California is home to the San Andreas, sure, but also the Hayward Fault and the San Jacinto Fault. These are the "rock stars" of the seismic world. They produce thousands of small tremors a year that nobody feels, and then, every few decades, they remind us they're there with something like the 1994 Northridge quake or the 1989 Loma Prieta disaster that famously interrupted the World Series. Honestly, if you live in the Bay Area or Los Angeles, you’ve probably stopped even looking up from your coffee unless it’s a 5.0 or higher.
But then there's Alaska.
People forget about Alaska. It is, by far, the most seismically active state in the union. It isn't even close. Because of the Aleutian Trench—a massive subduction zone where the Pacific Plate is being shoved underneath the North American Plate—Alaska gets hit with massive "megathrust" earthquakes. We are talking about the 1964 Prince William Sound earthquake, which hit a staggering 9.2 magnitude. That remains the second-largest earthquake ever recorded globally. The energy released was so massive it actually made the Earth ring like a bell.
The Sleeping Giant in the Middle of the Country
Here is where things get weird. If you ask a random person on the street where do earthquakes occur in the US, they will almost never say "Missouri."
That’s a mistake.
Deep in the American heartland lies the New Madrid Seismic Zone (NMSZ). It touches Missouri, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Illinois. Back in the winter of 1811 and 1812, this area produced a series of quakes so powerful they reportedly made the Mississippi River flow backward. People in Washington D.C. felt the shaking. Church bells rang in Boston.
The terrifying part? The geology of the East and Midwest is different from the West. In California, the rock is broken up and "soft" from constant movement, which absorbs energy. In the Midwest, the crust is old, cold, and hard. This means seismic waves travel much further and much faster. A 7.0 in Missouri would cause significantly more widespread damage than a 7.0 in Los Angeles because the energy just doesn't stop. It rings through the continent like a sledgehammer hitting a steel plate.
Why the Midwest is Different
- The crust is denser, allowing vibrations to travel hundreds of miles.
- Most buildings aren't retrofitted because "it doesn't happen here."
- The soil in the Mississippi Valley is prone to liquefaction—basically turning into quicksand.
The Intermountain West and the Wasatch Warning
Utah is beautiful. Salt Lake City is booming. But it’s also sitting right on top of the Wasatch Fault Zone. This is a "normal" fault, where the earth is actually pulling apart. Geologists like those at the USGS (United States Geological Survey) have been sounding the alarm for years about the "Big One" hitting the Salt Lake Valley.
The problem here is the "return period." These faults don't move every year. They build up tension for hundreds or even thousands of years. When they finally snap, it’s catastrophic. We’re talking about a potential 7.0 magnitude event right under a major metropolitan area that has a lot of unreinforced brick masonry buildings. If you've ever walked through downtown SLC, you've seen those beautiful old brick buildings. They are, unfortunately, death traps in a major quake.
The Pacific Northwest: The Cascadia Subduction Zone
If you live in Seattle or Portland, you aren't dealing with a sliding fault like California. You’re dealing with a subduction zone similar to Alaska’s or the one that caused the 2011 tsunami in Japan. This is the Cascadia Subduction Zone.
It stretches from Northern California up to British Columbia. It has been quiet for a long time—since January 26, 1700, to be exact. We know that date because Japanese records show an "orphan tsunami" hit their coast that night, and oral traditions from Indigenous tribes in the PNW tell stories of the ocean swallowing the land.
When Cascadia goes, it won't just be a "shaker." It will be a M9.0+ event that lasts for minutes, not seconds. It will likely trigger a massive tsunami that could hit the coast within 15 to 20 minutes. This is arguably the greatest natural disaster threat facing the United States today, purely because of the scale of the potential impact area.
The "Surprise" East Coast Shakers
"We don't have earthquakes in Virginia."
🔗 Read more: When Is Hurricane Season on the East Coast? What the Headlines Often Miss
That’s what everyone thought until 2011 when a 5.8 magnitude quake centered near Mineral, Virginia, cracked the Washington Monument and was felt by roughly 50 million people. The East Coast is what we call an "intraplate" region. It’s far from the edge of the tectonic plate, but there are old, ancient stress lines buried deep underground.
South Carolina is another hotspot. In 1886, Charleston was nearly leveled by a massive earthquake. It’s one of those things where the history is so old people forget, but the geology doesn't forget. The risk in the East isn't frequency; it's the total lack of preparation. Most homeowners in New Jersey or Georgia don't even have an earthquake rider on their insurance policy. Why would they? But the science says it’s a matter of "when," not "if."
Induced Seismicity: The Human Factor
We can't talk about where do earthquakes occur in the US without mentioning Oklahoma. For a few years in the mid-2010s, Oklahoma actually had more earthquakes than California.
Wait, what?
This wasn't natural. It was "induced seismicity." Basically, the process of injecting wastewater from oil and gas operations deep into the ground can lubricate ancient, hidden faults. It’s like putting oil on a rusty hinge. The pressure causes the faults to slip. While the frequency has gone down thanks to stricter regulations by the Oklahoma Corporation Commission, it served as a massive wake-up call that humans can change the seismic profile of an entire region.
How to Actually Prepare (Because Stressing Out Isn't a Plan)
If you've read this far, you're probably wondering if you need to move to a bunker in North Dakota. You don't. While you can't stop an earthquake, you can absolutely survive one if you stop treating it like a freak occurrence and start treating it like a manageable risk.
🔗 Read more: Weather Franconia Notch State Park: Why the White Mountains Don't Care About Your App
First, Drop, Cover, and Hold On. Forget the "triangle of life" or standing in a doorway. Doorways in modern houses aren't stronger than any other part of the frame, and you're more likely to get hit by a swinging door. Get under a sturdy table. Protect your head.
Second, check your water heater. This is the most "dad" advice ever, but it’s critical. If your water heater isn't strapped to the wall studs, it will fall over in a 6.0 quake. Not only does that break your gas line (fire risk!), but it also ruins your best source of emergency drinking water.
Third, look at your insurance. Standard homeowners insurance does not cover earthquakes. You usually have to buy a separate policy or a "brace and bolt" rider. If you live in a high-risk zone like the New Madrid area or the West Coast, it’s worth the phone call to your agent just to see what the deductible looks like.
Actionable Next Steps
- Identify Your Risk: Go to the USGS Earthquake Hazard Map and plug in your zip code. See what's actually under your feet.
- Secure Your Space: Spend a Saturday morning anchoring heavy bookshelves and televisions to the wall. In most quakes, it's the furniture that kills people, not the ceiling falling down.
- Build a Kit: You need three days of water (one gallon per person per day) and non-perishable food. Don't forget a manual can opener.
- Learn the "Shut-offs": Know exactly where your main gas valve is and keep a wrench nearby. If you smell gas after a shake, turn it off immediately.
The reality of living in the US is that the ground is more restless than we like to admit. Whether it's the slow grind of the San Andreas or the rare, violent snap of a Piedmont fault in the East, seismic activity is a part of the American landscape. Stay informed, get prepared, and maybe don't keep that heavy glass vase on the shelf right above your bed.