New Madrid Fault Sees Biggest Quake of Year in April, Odd Spots

April was an interesting month along the New Madrid Fault in southern Missouri. It featured the largest earthquake in the region for the year so far and several tremors in odd locations.

The USGS shows these are all of the confirmed New Madrid quakes for April

All things considered, the total number of New Madrid quakes in April were relatively normal with 28 being confirmed by the USGS. By far the quake that got the most attention in April was the 4.0 magnitude quake centered near Cooter, Missouri on April 23, 2026. That's the largest quake in the region so far in 2026 which is a great thing since a magnitude 4 isn't large enough to do any damage.

April included 3 New Madrid quakes in non-typical locations

There were a trio of quakes that happened near parts of Missouri that don't see many tremors. There was a 2.4 earthquake on April 26, 2026 near Bull Shoals Lake. On April 16, campers in the Mark Twain National Forest reported feeling a 2.2 quake. Finally, on April 15, 2026, there was a tiny 1.4 magnitude quake south of the Cape Girardeau, Missouri area.

Truth be told, April is the kind of month I want to see along the New Madrid Fault. The area averaged almost a small quake every day of the month which is completely to be expected. I've followed seismic activity in this part of Missouri for years and a few stray quakes in strange places is actually normal if that makes sense. It's a great reminder that the Earth underneath our feet in this part of the state is wildly unpredictable which is why I always recommend constant earthquake awareness. It never hurts to have an emergency plan even if you never need to use it. That's the best scenario of all.