A 4.5 magnitude earthquake shook Pahrump around 8:21 a.m. on July 5.
Magnitude 4.5 #earthquake, 64.2 km SW of Las Vegas, NV https://t.co/7YRzsdSTPp
— Nevada Earthquakes (@NVEarthquakes) July 5, 2018
The earthquake was 10.5 miles northwest of Sandy Valley and 31 miles southwest of Las Vegas.
Of course, earthquakes are not unusual in Nevada. There are thousands of earthquakes each year in the state that are too small for anyone to feel. On average, an earthquake that is strong enough to cause damage, happens about every 3 years.
However, despite the many faults in Nevada, the average time between large earthquakes in Nevada is at least 1,000 to 10,000 years.
The biggest one felt in the Las Vegas area in recent years was the 4.8 earthquake in May of 2015.
Top 5 largest earthquakes (to be recorded) in Nevada history:
Pleasant Valley, 1915 -- 7.1 magnitude
Cedar Mountain, 1932 -- 7.2 magnitude
Excelsior Mountains, 1934 -- 6.5 magnitude
Fallon-Stillwater, 1954 -- 6.6 magnitude
Stillwater, 1954 -- 6.8 magnitude
