March 5, 2026, 10:27 a.m. ET An unusual earthquake early March 5 in northwestern Louisiana awoke people from their sleep, shook furniture, rattled pipes and raised eyebrows for its strength. The U.S. Geological Survey previously reported that the magnitude 4.4 earthquake struck about 5:30 a.m. Thursday with its epicenter just north of Coushatta. Later, the earthquake was upgraded to a magnitude 4.9. The 4.9 earthquake is the strongest in the region in decades, USGS data shows. Republican state Sen.