USGS Records Two Earthquakes Near Preston, Nevada

Magnitude 3.6 and 3.5 tremors struck within 24 seconds of each other, with no damage reported.

Updated on Nov. 14, 2026 in Geology

USGS Records Two Earthquakes Near Preston, Nevada

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The U.S. Geological Survey recorded two earthquakes of magnitudes 3.6 and 3.5 near Preston, Nevada, on Friday, struck within seconds of one another. No damage was reported following the earthquakes.

Why it matters

The region lies within the Basin and Range Province, where the Earth's crust is slowly stretching and thinning, creating numerous faults that produce recurring seismic activity. Nevada is the third-most seismically active state in the U.S., behind Alaska and California, so tremors like these are part of a broader pattern for the state.

USGS instrumental readings put the two tremors at magnitudes 3.6 and 3.5, a range generally felt but rarely damaging, compared with the 7.1 magnitude Fairview Peak earthquake of 1954. Whether these tremors signal a larger sequence in the area has not been addressed.

The players

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)

The USGS is the federal science agency that monitors earthquakes and other natural hazards across the United States, and it issued the magnitude readings for these tremors.

The details

The stronger earthquake struck at 10:10 a.m. ET, and the second tremor followed 24 seconds later outside Preston. Trina Thomasson felt the shaking in Ely, about 32 miles northeast of Preston, and earthquakes in this magnitude range are often felt but typically cause only minor damage.

December 16, 1954: A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Fairview Peak, Nevada.
September 27: Two magnitude 4.1 earthquakes were recorded west of Preston.
Friday, November 13, 2026: Two earthquakes of magnitudes 3.6 and 3.5 struck near Preston.

Seasonal Patterns

The Basin and Range Province is shaped by the same crustal stretching that produced the magnitude 7.1 Fairview Peak earthquake in 1954, which left ground displaced by as much as 12 feet vertically. These November tremors are small by comparison, but they fit within the state's long record of recurring faulting and seismic activity.

For residents in Nevada, these tremors are a reminder that faulting in the Basin and Range Province is active, though magnitudes in this range are typically felt without causing damage. Anyone who feels shaking can compare it against the event time and magnitude reported by the USGS.

The takeaway

Earthquakes of magnitude 3.5 to 3.6 are often felt but rarely cause damage, yet Nevada's position among the most seismically active states makes awareness of local fault activity worthwhile.