QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.8Md

Earthquake near Mayagüez, PR

No earthquake was likely felt in Mayagüez in the 24 hours to 4:04 pm AST (20:04 UTC). The last one was M 2.9, 25 km (15 mi) SSE, at 3:17 am AST on 8 November 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Mayagüez

This page: a magnitude 2.8 earthquake was recorded 39 km (24 mi) west-southwest of Mayagüez, PR, at 7:44 pm AST on 16 October 2016 (23:44 UTC), 11 km deep.

USGS: 32 km W of Puerto Real, Puerto Rico

93 km (58 mi) W of Ponce, PR · 39 km (24 mi) WSW of Mayagüez, PR

7:44 pm AST, Oct 16, 2016 · · 11 km deep · released about 480 lb of TNT

Every earthquake near Mayagüez Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N Cabo Rojo Municipio 35 kmRincón Municipio 37 kmHormigueros Municipio 40 kmMayagüez Municipio 42 kmAñasco Municipio 43 kmAguada Municipio 44 kmSan Germán Municipio 48 kmLajas Municipio 50 kmMoca Municipio 53 km
Distance rings around the epicentre, with the nearest towns at their true direction and later quakes as coloured dots. Not a shaking map — see the USGS ShakeMap for that.
When
7:44 pm AST on 16 October 2016 ()
Where
39 km (24 mi) west-southwest of Mayagüez, PR · earthquakes near Mayagüez
Magnitude
M 2.8 (Md)
Depth
11 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Cabo Rojo Municipio, 35 km ESE
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 3588 days ago

This was a small earthquake. Shaking like this is often felt indoors nearby and very rarely causes damage.

At this magnitude and depth, people at rest would likely notice it out to about 25 km (16 mi) from the epicentre. In Mayagüez, 39 km away, the estimate is intensity II (weak). Estimated from magnitude, depth and distance with the intensity equation USGS Did You Feel It? uses; felt reports, where there are any, are the measurement.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 480 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.8 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 32,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 22,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 2× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.8 about 480 lb of TNT

Energy from the Gutenberg–Richter relation (log10E = 1.5M + 4.8), rounded to two figures; bar length is magnitude, which is already a logarithm of energy. Magnitudes of past earthquakes from the USGS catalogue.

For this area

No earthquake of M4 or more has been recorded within 50 km since our catalogue begins in 2016.

Before 2016, the USGS record lists 3 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km:

  1. 6.3 6 km WNW of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico · 48 km NE of this epicentre
  2. 5.2 19 km SW of Stella, Puerto Rico · 16 km NE of this epicentre
  3. 5.1 21 km SW of Stella, Puerto Rico · 15 km ENE of this epicentre

Since 2016: the QuakeIndex catalogue (US, M1.5+), built from the USGS FDSN event service. Before 2016: USGS ComCat, M5+ from 1900. Distances are between epicentres. This is the record, not a forecast.

Where

Epicentre 18.1030, -67.4937. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Cabo Rojo Municipio, PR 35 km (22 mi) ESE earthquakes near Cabo Rojo Municipio
Rincón Municipio, PR 37 km (23 mi) NE earthquakes near Rincón Municipio
Hormigueros Municipio, PR 40 km (25 mi) E earthquakes near Hormigueros Municipio
Mayagüez Municipio, PR 42 km (26 mi) W earthquakes near Mayagüez Municipio
Añasco Municipio, PR 43 km (27 mi) ENE earthquakes near Añasco Municipio
Aguada Municipio, PR 44 km (28 mi) NE earthquakes near Aguada Municipio

Places and coordinates from the US Census Bureau Gazetteer (2024). Distances are from the epicentre.

Aftershocks so far

52 earthquakes have been recorded within 50 km since this one.

  1. 2.9 47 km WNW of Rincón, Puerto Rico
  2. 2.3 10 km NNW of Puerto Real, Puerto Rico
  3. 2.4 8 km WSW of Mayagüez, Puerto Rico
  4. 2.4 3 km WSW of La Parguera, Puerto Rico
  5. 1.7 14 km W of Puerto Real, Puerto Rico
  6. 2.3 9 km WSW of Puerto Real, Puerto Rico
  7. 2.2 3 km NW of Hormigueros, Puerto Rico
  8. 3.1 63 km WSW of Stella, Puerto Rico
  9. 2.4 32 km W of Rincón, Puerto Rico
  10. 3.1 75 km W of Puerto Real, Puerto Rico
  11. 2.9 6 km SSW of La Playa, Puerto Rico
  12. 2.8 6 km SSW of La Playa, Puerto Rico
  13. 2.2 Mona Passage
  14. 1.7 6 km ENE of Hormigueros, Puerto Rico
  15. 2.8 34 km NW of Rincón, Puerto Rico

Counted from the QuakeIndex database, which ingests the USGS feed every 30 seconds · as of . QuakeIndex does not forecast aftershocks. When USGS issues an operational aftershock forecast it appears on the USGS event page.

On USGS

QuakeIndex does not issue warnings. For earthquake early warning see ShakeAlert.