QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 4.3ml

Earthquake near Puerto Real, PR

No earthquake was likely felt in Puerto Real in the 24 hours to 4:30 am AST (08:30 UTC). The last one was M 2.1, 10 km (6 mi) SE, at 11:57 pm AST on 8 November 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Puerto Real

This page: a magnitude 4.3 earthquake was recorded 22 km (14 mi) west-northwest of Puerto Real, PR, at 5:33 am AST on 5 September 2019 (09:33 UTC), 3.0 km deep. 59 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 21 km WNW of Puerto Real, Puerto Rico

25 km (16 mi) WSW of Mayagüez, PR · 142 km (88 mi) WSW of San Juan, PR

5:33 am AST, Sep 5, 2019 · · 3.0 km deep · released about 43 tons of TNT

Every earthquake near Puerto Real Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N Rincón Municipio 25 kmCabo Rojo Municipio 27 kmHormigueros Municipio 28 kmAñasco Municipio 30 kmAguada Municipio 32 kmSan Germán Municipio 36 kmMoca Municipio 40 kmLajas Municipio 40 kmLas Marías Municipio 43 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
5:33 am AST on 5 September 2019 ()
Where
22 km (14 mi) west-northwest of Puerto Real, PR · earthquakes near Puerto Real
Magnitude
M 4.3 (ml)
Depth
3.0 km below the surface
Felt
59 reports · strongest reported intensity IV
Nearest
Rincón Municipio, 25 km NNE
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 2538 days ago

This was a light earthquake. It is usually felt clearly nearby and can rattle windows and dishes, but damage is uncommon.

At this magnitude and depth, people at rest would likely notice it out to about 121 km (75 mi) from the epicentre. In Puerto Real, 22 km away, the estimate is intensity III (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: Puerto Real 22 km, intensity III · Rincón 25 km, intensity III · Mayagüez 26 km, intensity III · Pole Ojea 28 km, intensity III · Aguada 32 km, intensity III · San Germán 36 km, intensity III · Aguadilla 39 km, intensity III · San Sebastián 46 km, intensity III. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 43 tons of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 5.3 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Northridge, California 1994 M 6.7 4,000× the energy of this one
  2. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 180× the energy of this one
  3. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 130× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 4.3 about 43 tons of TNT
  5. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 this one released 89× more

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

Tied for the largest within 50 km (31 mi) since 2016, with M 4.3 on 2017-10-14.

Before 2016, the USGS record lists 5 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km:

  1. 6.3 6 km WNW of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico · 37 km NNE of this epicentre
  2. 6.1 15 km WNW of San Antonio, Puerto Rico · 47 km NNE of this epicentre
  3. 5.8 4 km E of Moca, Puerto Rico · 43 km NE of this epicentre
  4. 5.2 19 km SW of Stella, Puerto Rico · 4 km N of this epicentre
  5. 5.1 21 km SW of Stella, Puerto Rico · 2 km NNE 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 18.1506, -67.3771. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Rincón Municipio, PR 25 km (15 mi) NNE earthquakes near Rincón Municipio
Cabo Rojo Municipio, PR 27 km (17 mi) SE earthquakes near Cabo Rojo Municipio
Hormigueros Municipio, PR 28 km (17 mi) E earthquakes near Hormigueros Municipio
Añasco Municipio, PR 30 km (19 mi) ENE earthquakes near Añasco Municipio
Aguada Municipio, PR 32 km (20 mi) NE earthquakes near Aguada Municipio
San Germán Municipio, PR 36 km (23 mi) E earthquakes near San Germán Municipio

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.6 4 km ESE of Boquerón, Puerto Rico
  2. 2.0 1 km SE of Maricao, Puerto Rico
  3. 2.2 3 km ESE of Maricao, Puerto Rico
  4. 2.1 20 km SW of Stella, Puerto Rico
  5. 1.9 2 km SSE of Mayagüez, Puerto Rico
  6. 2.1 7 km SE of Espino, Puerto Rico
  7. 2.6 27 km W of Rincón, Puerto Rico
  8. 1.6 6 km WSW of Liborio Negron Torres, Puerto Rico
  9. 1.9 4 km WNW of La Parguera, Puerto Rico
  10. 1.8 11 km SSE of La Parguera, Puerto Rico
  11. 1.6 2 km NW of Maricao, Puerto Rico
  12. 1.8 4 km ESE of Boquerón, Puerto Rico
  13. 1.6 10 km NW of Puerto Real, Puerto Rico
  14. 1.9 3 km SW of San Sebastián, Puerto Rico
  15. 1.9 7 km WNW of Pole Ojea, 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.