4 MINUTE READ | NUMBER 3
As the Airbus A321 approached LAX airport, we were advised that Los Angeles was experiencing an earthquake on the ground below. I can't tell you how excited I was. I've never been able to ride out an earthquake while living in Louisiana, so I hoped to see what all the fuss was about. Unfortunately, I left L.A. without getting to feel the ground shake. But it made me think about whether Louisiana had ever experienced a quake. And sure enough, after a bit of digging, I had my answer.
1930’s Quake Shook Louisiana
1930
On October 19, 1930, a seismic event of significant magnitude rattled southeastern Louisiana, marking the strongest earthquake on record on Louisiana soil. Although the exact epicenter remains unknown due to the malfunctioning of local seismograph stations in New Orleans and Alabama, seismographic readings from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., indicate that the tremor's center was near Donaldsonville and Napoleonville.
The quake's force, estimated at 4.2 on the magnitude scale, generated seismic waves propagating across a vast area of 15,000 square miles, causing widespread vibrations and shaking in the affected zone.1
The Quake Wakes Up Louisiana
At the crack of dawn on that Sunday morning, the earth beneath Louisiana began to quake fiercely, unleashing two consecutive tremors about five minutes apart around 6:15 and 6:20. The impact of the seismic waves was palpable, as chimneys and windows were shattered in Donaldsonville and Napoleonville. Glass was violently shaken out of the streetlights in Plaquemine. The violent jolts were so powerful that doors flung open in New Roads, while men in Pilot Town were thrown from their beds, and a telephone operator in Covington was knocked out of her chair. The intense shaking triggered a flood of reports into New Orleans newspaper switchboards.2
The head of Tulane University's Department of Geology, Professor R.A. Steinmayer, provided local media with an explanation for the surprisingly minimal damage caused by the earthquake.
"Because of the marshy character of the earth strata in this section, many think earthquakes are impossible here, said Steinmayer, "However, Louisiana is overlaid by a thick mantle of loose material which can transmit earth waves of sufficient intensity."
J. Adair Lyons, a physicist at Newcomb College, speculated that the pattern and directions the seismic waves traveled during the event could mean the earthquake actually happened offshore, but because of the malfunctioning equipment at local seismograph stations, the epicenter is still thought to have occurred inland.
Minor Injuries
In the aftermath of the earthquake, reports of injuries trickled in from Morgan City, where a group of devout Catholics had gathered for Sunday Mass. As the ground shook and the walls rocked, the congregants panicked, attempting to flee the church in a frenzy. Amidst the chaos, a handful of parishioners sustained minor injuries, suffering superficial cuts and bruises.3
More Recent History
Over the past century, Louisiana has experienced slightly more than 100 seismic events, each with varying levels of intensity and impact. Most of the state's recent earthquakes have centered around the Shreveport area. The most notable was a 3.1 magnitude tremor that struck near Blanchard, Louisiana, in April 2021. Offshore, a 4.6 magnitude quake occurred 122 miles off the coast of Grand Isle in May 2018.4
The waters off the coast of Grand Isle have been the site of the most significant seismic activity in the past thirty years, with four quakes of magnitude 4.0 or greater recorded during that time.
The most potent earthquake ever documented in Louisiana occurred off the state's coast in February 2006, approximately 86 miles south of Lafourche parish. With a magnitude of 5.3, the tremor would have caused only minor damage if it had struck on land. It went largely unreported in the local news media.5 ▪️
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➡️ Visit our archives for more stories from Louisiana's Past
“Earthquake Hits Louisiana,” Des Moines Register, October 20, 1930.
“Earthquake Jolts New Orleans, Surrounding Area; Worshipers Flee from Church,” The Shreveport Times, October 20, 1930.
“Temblor Is Felt in South,” Arizona Republican, October 20, 1930.
“Recent Earthquakes near Louisiana, United States,” Today’s Earthquakes in Louisiana, United States, accessed May 14, 2023, https://earthquaketrack.com/p/united-states/louisiana/recent.
“Largest Quake to Strike Off Louisiana Coast,” Today’s Earthquakes in Louisiana, United States, accessed May 14, 2023, https://earthquaketrack.com/quakes/2006-02-10-04-14-22-utc-5-3-5.