QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 4.2md

Earthquake near Culebra, PR

Yes: an earthquake was likely felt in Culebra in the last 24 hours. M 2.9, 25 km (15 mi) ENE of Culebra, at 6:51 am AST on 11 November 2026 (10:51 UTC); the estimated shaking in Culebra was intensity II (weak). Every earthquake near Culebra

This page: a magnitude 4.2 earthquake was recorded 35 km (21 mi) north-northeast of Culebra, PR, at 11:52 pm AST on 3 May 2023 (03:52 UTC), 74 km deep. 5 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: Puerto Rico region

11:52 pm AST, May 3, 2023 · · 74 km deep · released about 28 tons of TNT

Every earthquake near Culebra Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N Culebra Municipio 33 kmFajardo Municipio 53 kmVieques Municipio 59 kmCeiba Municipio 63 kmLuquillo Municipio 66 kmRío Grande Municipio 74 kmNaguabo Municipio 76 kmCanóvanas Municipio 85 kmHumacao Municipio 85 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
11:52 pm AST on 3 May 2023 ()
Where
35 km (21 mi) north-northeast of Culebra, PR · earthquakes near Culebra
Magnitude
M 4.2 (md)
Depth
74 km below the surface
Felt
5 reports · strongest reported intensity III
Nearest
Culebra Municipio, 33 km SW
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 1215 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 83 km (52 mi) from the epicentre. In Culebra, 35 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: Culebra 35 km, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 28 tons of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 5.2 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Northridge, California 1994 M 6.7 6,000× the energy of this one
  2. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 270× the energy of this one
  3. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 190× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 4.2 about 28 tons of TNT
  5. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 this one released 59× 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

The largest earthquake within 50 km in our catalogue was M 4.8 on 2021-03-09 — about 8.5 times the energy of this one.

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 18.5641, -65.1236. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Culebra Municipio, PR 33 km (20 mi) SW earthquakes near Culebra Municipio
Fajardo Municipio, PR 53 km (33 mi) WSW earthquakes near Fajardo Municipio
Vieques Municipio, PR 59 km (36 mi) SW earthquakes near Vieques Municipio
Ceiba Municipio, PR 63 km (39 mi) WSW earthquakes near Ceiba Municipio
Luquillo Municipio, PR 66 km (41 mi) WSW earthquakes near Luquillo Municipio
Río Grande Municipio, PR 74 km (46 mi) WSW earthquakes near Río Grande Municipio

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.8 75 km NNW of Charlotte Amalie, U.S. Virgin Islands
  2. 3.3 Virgin Islands
  3. 3.4 42 km NE of Luquillo, Puerto Rico
  4. 3.9 57 km N of Cruz Bay, U.S. Virgin Islands
  5. 3.5 58 km NNE of Luquillo, Puerto Rico
  6. 3.2 32 km N of Charlotte Amalie, U.S. Virgin Islands
  7. 3.4 61 km N of Culebra, Puerto Rico
  8. 3.2 Puerto Rico region
  9. 3.4 60 km NNE of Luquillo, Puerto Rico
  10. 3.4 67 km N of Charlotte Amalie, U.S. Virgin Islands
  11. 3.2 66 km N of Charlotte Amalie, U.S. Virgin Islands
  12. 3.4 Puerto Rico region
  13. 3.7 59 km N of Cruz Bay, U.S. Virgin Islands
  14. 3.2 37 km NNW of Charlotte Amalie, U.S. Virgin Islands
  15. 3.2 52 km N of Culebra, 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.