QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.9md

Earthquake near Barranquitas, PR

No earthquake was likely felt in Barranquitas in the 24 hours to 7:39 pm AST (23:39 UTC). The last one was M 3.3, 37 km (23 mi) SSW, at 8:40 am AST on 1 November 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Barranquitas

This page: a magnitude 1.9 earthquake was recorded 4 km (3 mi) east of Barranquitas, PR, at 4:14 am AST on 5 January 2019 (08:14 UTC), 8.0 km deep.

USGS: 4 km E of Barranquitas, Puerto Rico

33 km (20 mi) SW of San Juan, PR · 24 km (15 mi) SSW of Bayamón, PR

4:14 am AST, Jan 5, 2019 · · 8.0 km deep · released about 25 lb of TNT

Every earthquake near Barranquitas Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N Barranquitas Municipio 5 kmAibonito Municipio 6 kmComerío Municipio 7 kmCidra Municipio 11 kmNaranjito Municipio 12 kmCoamo Municipio 13 kmCorozal Municipio 15 kmCayey Municipio 15 kmAguas Buenas Municipio 17 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
4:14 am AST on 5 January 2019 ()
Where
4 km (3 mi) east of Barranquitas, PR · earthquakes near Barranquitas
Magnitude
M 1.9 (md)
Depth
8.0 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Barranquitas Municipio, 5 km WNW
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 2867 days ago

This was a minor earthquake. Quakes this small are rarely felt and do not cause damage.

At this magnitude and depth, people at rest would likely notice it out to about 13 km (8 mi) from the epicentre. In Barranquitas, 4 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.

Likely felt in: Cayey 13 km, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 25 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.0 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 600,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 420,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 38× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 1.9 about 25 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 2 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km:

  1. 5.1 3 km W of Aguas Buenas, Puerto Rico · 16 km ENE of this epicentre
  2. 5.0 3 km N of Brenas, Puerto Rico · 36 km NNW 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 18.1833, -66.2666. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Barranquitas Municipio, PR 5 km (3 mi) WNW earthquakes near Barranquitas Municipio
Aibonito Municipio, PR 6 km (4 mi) S earthquakes near Aibonito Municipio
Comerío Municipio, PR 7 km (4 mi) NE earthquakes near Comerío Municipio
Cidra Municipio, PR 11 km (7 mi) E earthquakes near Cidra Municipio
Naranjito Municipio, PR 12 km (7 mi) N earthquakes near Naranjito Municipio
Coamo Municipio, PR 13 km (8 mi) SW earthquakes near Coamo Municipio

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.0 0 km SSE of Playita Cortada, Puerto Rico
  2. 1.6 5 km SE of Arroyo, Puerto Rico
  3. 2.3 4 km NW of Palomas, Puerto Rico
  4. 2.3 Puerto Rico region
  5. 2.3 6 km NE of Villalba, Puerto Rico
  6. 2.6 8 km NNW of Tierras Nuevas Poniente, Puerto Rico
  7. 2.5 1 km ESE of Salinas, Puerto Rico
  8. 1.9 2 km WNW of Las Ollas, Puerto Rico
  9. 1.8 8 km SSW of Ciales, Puerto Rico
  10. 1.6 7 km NNE of Tallaboa Alta, Puerto Rico
  11. 1.8 9 km SSW of Emajagua, Puerto Rico
  12. 1.7 5 km ENE of Adjuntas, Puerto Rico
  13. 1.9 3 km ENE of Bairoa, Puerto Rico
  14. 2.2 1 km NW of Sumidero, Puerto Rico
  15. 2.7 2 km SW of H. Rivera Colon, 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.