Early Morning Earthquake Rattles Northwest Louisiana

An early morning earthquake shook parts of northwestern Louisiana on Thursday, March 5, waking some residents across the region.

The United States Geological Survey reported the quake occurred shortly before 5:30 a.m. in Red River Parish near Edgefield, just north of Coushatta. Initially measured at magnitude 4.4, the earthquake was later upgraded to a 4.9 magnitude.

The tremor, which occurred at a shallow depth of about three miles, was felt in areas including Shreveport, Natchitoches, parts of East Texas, and southern Arkansas. Despite the strength of the quake, no significant damage or injuries have been reported.

The earthquake is considered one of the strongest recorded in Louisiana in decades and the second largest in the state’s history, behind a magnitude 5.3 earthquake recorded offshore near Grand Isle in 2006.

While many in northern Louisiana reported feeling the shaking, residents in central Louisiana, including Avoyelles Parish, likely did not feel the quake due to the distance from the epicenter.