QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.5md

Earthquake near Sabana Grande, PR

Yes: an earthquake was likely felt in Sabana Grande in the last 24 hours. M 2.4, 16 km (10 mi) SSE of Sabana Grande, at 3:43 pm AST on 11 November 2026 (19:43 UTC); the estimated shaking in Sabana Grande was intensity II (weak). Every earthquake near Sabana Grande

This page: a magnitude 1.5 earthquake was recorded 6 km (4 mi) southwest of Sabana Grande, PR, at 9:24 am AST on 1 September 2019 (13:24 UTC), 26 km deep.

USGS: 5 km SW of Sabana Grande, Puerto Rico

40 km (25 mi) W of Ponce, PR · 23 km (15 mi) SE of Mayagüez, PR

9:24 am AST, Sep 1, 2019 · · 26 km deep · released about 5.9 lb of TNT

Every earthquake near Sabana Grande Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N Sabana Grande Municipio 7 kmLajas Municipio 8 kmSan Germán Municipio 9 kmGuánica Municipio 13 kmYauco Municipio 16 kmMaricao Municipio 16 kmHormigueros Municipio 16 kmCabo Rojo Municipio 20 kmLas Marías Municipio 21 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
9:24 am AST on 1 September 2019 ()
Where
6 km (4 mi) southwest of Sabana Grande, PR · earthquakes near Sabana Grande
Magnitude
M 1.5 (md)
Depth
26 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Sabana Grande Municipio, 7 km NE
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 2628 days ago

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

At this magnitude and depth it was probably too small to be felt, even directly above it. In Sabana Grande, 6 km away, the estimate is intensity I (not felt). 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.

Earthquakes near other towns within 30 km: Liborio Negron Torres, Lajas, San Germán, Palmarejo, La Parguera, Lluveras.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 5.9 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 2.5 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 2,500,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 1,800,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 160× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 1.5 about 5.9 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. 5.8 4 km E of Moca, Puerto Rico · 41 km N of this epicentre
  2. 5.2 19 km SW of Stella, Puerto Rico · 43 km WNW of this epicentre
  3. 5.1 21 km SW of Stella, Puerto Rico · 42 km WNW 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 18.0401, -66.9981. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Sabana Grande Municipio, PR 7 km (5 mi) NE earthquakes near Sabana Grande Municipio
Lajas Municipio, PR 8 km (5 mi) SSW earthquakes near Lajas Municipio
San Germán Municipio, PR 9 km (5 mi) NNW earthquakes near San Germán Municipio
Guánica Municipio, PR 13 km (8 mi) SE earthquakes near Guánica Municipio
Yauco Municipio, PR 16 km (10 mi) ENE earthquakes near Yauco Municipio
Maricao Municipio, PR 16 km (10 mi) NNE earthquakes near Maricao 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. 1.8 4 km ESE of Boquerón, Puerto Rico
  2. 1.6 10 km NW of Puerto Real, Puerto Rico
  3. 2.5 4 km SSE of Cacao, Puerto Rico
  4. 1.9 3 km SW of San Sebastián, Puerto Rico
  5. 2.0 7 km SW of Guánica, Puerto Rico
  6. 1.9 7 km WNW of Pole Ojea, Puerto Rico
  7. 2.3 10 km SW of Guánica, Puerto Rico
  8. 1.5 2 km E of Mayagüez, Puerto Rico
  9. 1.8 8 km ENE of Maricao, Puerto Rico
  10. 1.9 3 km SSW of Maricao, Puerto Rico
  11. 2.1 11 km NW of Puerto Real, Puerto Rico
  12. 2.1 3 km SW of Maricao, Puerto Rico
  13. 2.4 7 km E of Maricao, Puerto Rico
  14. 2.3 16 km SSW of Stella, Puerto Rico
  15. 2.3 26 km W of Puerto Real, 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.