Earthquake near Ponce, PR

Yes: an earthquake was likely felt in Ponce in the last 24 hours. M 2.3, 16 km (10 mi) W of Ponce, at 7:05 pm AST on 12 November 2026 (23:05 UTC); the estimated shaking in Ponce was intensity II (weak). Every earthquake near Ponce

This page: a magnitude 2.8 earthquake was recorded in Ponce, PR, at 2:45 am AST on 21 November 2016 (06:45 UTC), 17 km deep.

USGS: 1 km S of Ponce, Puerto Rico

in Ponce, PR

2:45 am AST, Nov 21, 2016 · 2016-11-21 06:45 UTC · 17 km deep · released about 480 lb of TNT

Every earthquake near Ponce Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area

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: 2:45 am AST on 21 November 2016 (2016-11-21 06:45 UTC)
Where: in Ponce, PR · earthquakes near Ponce
Magnitude: M 2.8 (Md)
Depth: 17 km below the surface
Felt: no reports yet
Nearest: Ponce Municipio, 2 km ENE
Status: Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS 3558 days ago · we first saw it 3558 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 21 km (13 mi) from the epicentre. 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.

Likely felt in: Ponce in town, intensity II · Tallaboa 10 km, intensity II · Tallaboa Alta 10 km, intensity II · Magas Arriba 16 km, intensity II · Río Cañas Abajo 17 km, intensity II · Guayanilla 18 km, intensity II · Adjuntas 21 km, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

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.

Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 32,000× the energy of this one
Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 22,000× the energy of this one
Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 2× the energy of this one
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 since 1900 lists no earthquake of M5 or more within 50 km.

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

Map loads when it scrolls into view

Nearby places

Place	Distance	Direction from the epicentre
Ponce Municipio, PR	2 km (1 mi)	ENE	earthquakes near Ponce Municipio
Peñuelas Municipio, PR	12 km (7 mi)	WNW	earthquakes near Peñuelas Municipio
Juana Díaz Municipio, PR	14 km (9 mi)	E	earthquakes near Juana Díaz Municipio
Guayanilla Municipio, PR	19 km (12 mi)	W	earthquakes near Guayanilla Municipio
Villalba Municipio, PR	22 km (14 mi)	NE	earthquakes near Villalba Municipio
Jayuya Municipio, PR	24 km (15 mi)	N	earthquakes near Jayuya Municipio

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

Aftershocks so far

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

2.1 6 km ENE of La Parguera, Puerto Rico 23:27 UTC
2.4 5 km NNE of San Germán, Puerto Rico 08:16 UTC
2.0 26 km S of Guánica, Puerto Rico 04:17 UTC
2.2 3 km S of Coamo, Puerto Rico 16:51 UTC
2.0 2 km SSE of Magas Arriba, Puerto Rico 04:30 UTC
1.9 15 km S of Guánica, Puerto Rico 18:50 UTC
2.1 5 km NNE of Sabana Eneas, Puerto Rico 13:46 UTC
2.1 0 km N of Pastos, Puerto Rico 23:13 UTC
2.5 18 km S of Tallaboa, Puerto Rico 05:50 UTC
1.5 0 km E of San Germán, Puerto Rico 22:13 UTC
2.4 0 km WNW of Mariano Colón, Puerto Rico 19:44 UTC
1.8 2 km E of Sabana Grande, Puerto Rico 08:49 UTC
2.3 8 km S of Indios, Puerto Rico 05:54 UTC
2.1 3 km SE of Maricao, Puerto Rico 02:55 UTC
1.9 5 km N of San Germán, Puerto Rico 05:43 UTC

Counted from the QuakeIndex database, which ingests the USGS feed every 30 seconds · as of 11:33 UTC. QuakeIndex does not forecast aftershocks. When USGS issues an operational aftershock forecast it appears on the USGS event page.

On USGS

The official USGS event page — the source of record for every value above
Did you feel it? Report it to USGS — reports go to USGS, not to us
ShakeMap for this event, when USGS has produced one

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