The Surprising History of Earthquakes in Northwest Louisiana

While nothing like those in California, conversations regarding earthquakes have become common place in north Louisiana over the past few years.

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The earthquakes last month in the Coushatta area, one of which was among the strongest ever in Louisiana, had people talking all over social media.

The Discussion on Facebook About The Quakes Is Always Fascinating

S?bastien Bonaim?

These recent quakes reminded me of the huge discussion on Facebook just a couple of years ago in the Lake Bistineau News group.

"Did anyone else feel an earthquake just now? My house shook."
"Earthquake in sibley"
"I’m on Ringgold side of lake and It shook the house hard and had loud boom sound. I was on the phone with my hubby and he said earthquake. It was felt as far as Minden."
"Yesssssss. It shook my bed. That was verrrry strange. I got up and looked around everywhere. Even under the bed to make sure no one was under it. lol."
"My husband just text me and said it scared him to death, he thought his plant done blown up. He works in Ringgold off lake road."

According to the website, volcanodiscovery.com , this year alone, in 2026, Bossier Parish has had 20 quakes of magnitudes up to 4.9. Three of those were above magnitude of 4.0. Four were between a 3.0 and 4.0. Ten were between a magnitude of 2.0 and 3.0 and another three quakes were below a magnitude of 2.0 and people won't normally ever feel those.

And for those thinking this is something "new" to North Louisiana, I've discovered you'd be completely wrong.

The Same Earthquake Rumored To Form Caddo Lake Also Made Lake Bistineau

An article on the Stephen F. Austin University website recounted an earlier publishing from the Bossier Press which discussed one of the most destructive earthquakes to ever occur in this area.

In his weekly column in the Bossier Press on July 9, 1970, Bossier historian Rupert Peyton recounted the story of the earthquake that occurred in Bossier in 1811, resulting in the formation of Lake Bistineau.
One of the earliest accounts of this region by the white man was told by trappers of the great earthquake of 1811 which formed Lake Bistineau and many other lakes in the Mississippi Valley from southern Missouri, west Tennessee through Arkansas and into north Louisiana.

Peyton's story goes on to discuss the story of this hunting party and the huge storm they endured, the flooding and the tremor they felt in the ground, and their discovery that the swampy bottom of the Dorcheat Bayou had "sunk beneath the outspread waters of the newly formed lake."

The 1811 New Madrid Earthquake Might Have Been Biggest Ever In Area

Petrovich9

The earthquake to which they elude was the massive 1811 New Madrid Earthquake, which is mentioned in an article from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

According to Native American folklore, this was the same earthquake that formed Caddo Lake and those "many other lakes in the Mississippi Valley."

While most officials agree with the amount of destruction done by this New Madrid earthquake, most geologists disagree that it was responsible for the formation of Lake Bistineau or Caddo Lake for that matter.

In fact, most of them credit the "Great Raft", the 100-mile log jam of the Red River for the formation of these two lakes and many others in the immediate area.

Whichever of these stories is true, one thing is for sure. Earthquakes are nothing new to this region and they're likely to continue in the future.

The big question is, how big can they get and can we survive one of that magnitude?

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