Residents in Louisiana had a bit of a shake to start their morning. On Thursday morning, an earthquake rocked the Bayou State for the first time in several decades. Geologists have measured the earthquake at magnitude 4.9, making it one of the biggest in the state’s history. Acu Weather gave a more in-depth report on the earthquake and revealed if it caused any damage: A magnitude 4.9 earthquake rattled Louisiana on Thursday morning, striking 36 miles south-southeast of Shreveport, Louisiana, according to the USGS. Preliminarily, it is the biggest earthquake recorded in state history. The earthquake happened around 5:30 a.m. CST and occurred just 3.1 miles (5 km) below the surface. There have been no immediate reports of significant damage in the area. Earthquakes of this magnitude are rare in Louisiana. Since early December, northwestern Louisiana has recorded eight earthquakes, ranging from magnitude 2.6 to 3.1. This is the strongest earthquake on land in two decades. Two strong earthquakes were recorded offshore in the Gulf, with a magnitude 5.3 on Grand Isle in 2006 and a 4.9 in 1978. Additionally, on May 17, 2012, a magnitude 4.8 quake struck Timpson, Texas. The epicenter of the 2012 tremor was about 57 miles west of the one that was recorded on Thursday morning. Here’s a map of the epicenter: A 4.9-magnitude earthquake jostled hundreds of thousands of people in Louisiana early Thursday morning — an unusually strong temblor for the state. https://t.co/GxE9P9LYmi — CNN (@CNN) March 5, 2026 A resident in Louisiana shared their Ring doorbell footage of the earthquake tremors: A record-breaking 4.9-magnitude earthquake hit Louisiana early on Thursday! According to officials, this was the largest earthquake ever recorded in the state.#LAwx pic.twitter.com/AlJHe8cVA4 — WeatherNation (@WeatherNation) March 5, 2026 So what caused the earthquake? WWLTV shared that they could be from man-made operations Large earthquakes are rare in Louisiana, as the state is not located on an active fault line like California or the Pacific Northwest. Geologists say these quakes in Louisiana, as well as in neighboring Oklahoma and Texas, are linked to saltwater disposal wells used by the oil and gas industry. “It’s almost certainly induced by man-made operations,” USGS Research Geophysicist Thomas Pratt told The Shreveport-Bossier City Advocate last year. While the USGS recorded Thursday’s tremor, the agency does not assign specific causes to individual earthquakes. Breaking News a M4.9 Earthquake – 2026 Red River Parish, Louisiana Earthquake2026-03-05 11:30:08 (UTC)32.068°N 93.445°W5.0 km depth A rare large M4.9 earthquake has struck Louisiana directly at a oil + gas fracking operation. At the earthquake epicenter. pic.twitter.com/9hROB6f55B — Casimiro (Casimiro Media Productions) (@CasimiroMedia) March 5, 2026