Small Quake Saturday Off Oregon Coast, A Bit More Southward Than Usual

Published 11/14/2026 at 9:58 p.m.
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff

(Brookings, Oregon) – A small underwater quake shook off the south Oregon coast Saturday afternoon, right near the border with California. It took place at 3:22 p.m. about 65 miles offshore, and clocked in at a magnitude 3.4, according to the USGS.

Graphic courtesy USGS: it shows Saturday's quake with the yellow dot below for another off the California coast recently. The red dotted line is the subduction zone.

Its epicenter was about 6.2 miles below the surface.

Stories also coming overnight: Masses of Pelicans on south coast --- Buoy dislodged by storms

The quake took place a bit farther south than usual. There are dozens of smaller quakes along this stretch of the south Oregon coast, but most are closer to Bandon or Coos Bay – although just as far out at sea. The majority are at least 60 miles west, and even some that get big enough to trigger quake alerts won't cause any damage because they are so distant from shore.

It's been an eventful 24 hours along the coast - which included not just major storm waves but the bell buoy at Depoe Bay was cut loose by storms and there are thousands of pelicans swarming south coast docks and rocks.

Other than its southward location, the other interesting aspect of the quake was that one person in Gold Beach reported feeling it.

There was another M 1.5 quake just west of Charleston two days before, and took place much closer to shore than usual at less than 50 miles away.

Oregon, Coast Earthquake Updates - Live Data Oregon, Washington, California

All these quakes usually happen in and around the Gorda Ridge and the Blanco Fracture Zone. All of it is about 200 miles from the massive fault of the Cascadia Subduction Zone – which is the biggie everyone worries about. Quakes in this area don't have any relation to what's happening there.

Every time some of the little quakes pull a Taylor Swift and “shake it off,” people get a little alarmed.

It does not portend the “big one,” and no, it does not cause a release of pressure and affect what may or may not happen in the future.

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