QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.8md

Earthquake near Cayey, PR

No earthquake was likely felt in Cayey in the 24 hours to 1:07 am AST (05:07 UTC). The last one was M 3.3, 38 km (24 mi) SW, at 8:40 am AST on 1 November 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Cayey

This page: a magnitude 2.8 earthquake was recorded 6 km (4 mi) east of Cayey, PR, at 7:43 pm AST on 4 May 2023 (23:43 UTC), 24 km deep. 2 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: Puerto Rico region

33 km (20 mi) S of San Juan, PR · 15 km (10 mi) SSW of Caguas, PR

7:43 pm AST, May 4, 2023 · · 24 km deep · released about 550 lb of TNT

Every earthquake near Cayey Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N Cayey Municipio 4 kmCidra Municipio 9 kmCaguas Municipio 13 kmSan Lorenzo Municipio 15 kmGuayama Municipio 16 kmAguas Buenas Municipio 16 kmAibonito Municipio 16 kmComerío Municipio 17 kmArroyo 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
7:43 pm AST on 4 May 2023 ()
Where
6 km (4 mi) east of Cayey, PR · earthquakes near Cayey
Magnitude
M 2.8 (md)
Depth
24 km below the surface
Felt
2 reports · strongest reported intensity II
Nearest
Cayey Municipio, 4 km WSW
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 1287 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 17 km (11 mi) from the epicentre. In Cayey, 6 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 6 km, intensity II · Sumidero 12 km, intensity II · Jagual 13 km, intensity II · Guayama 14 km, intensity II · Caguas 15 km, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 550 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.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 28,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 19,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 1.7× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.8 about 550 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

The largest earthquake within 50 km in our catalogue was M 4.6 on 2016-12-05 — about 440 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 18.1118, -66.1113. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Cayey Municipio, PR 4 km (3 mi) WSW earthquakes near Cayey Municipio
Cidra Municipio, PR 9 km (5 mi) NW earthquakes near Cidra Municipio
Caguas Municipio, PR 13 km (8 mi) NNE earthquakes near Caguas Municipio
San Lorenzo Municipio, PR 15 km (9 mi) ENE earthquakes near San Lorenzo Municipio
Guayama Municipio, PR 16 km (10 mi) S earthquakes near Guayama Municipio
Aguas Buenas Municipio, PR 16 km (10 mi) N earthquakes near Aguas Buenas Municipio

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 3.2 6 km N of San Juan, Puerto Rico
  2. 3.0 Puerto Rico region
  3. 2.6 6 km S of Emajagua, Puerto Rico
  4. 3.3 8 km SSW of Potala Pastillo, Puerto Rico
  5. 3.6 0 km ENE of Pájaros, Puerto Rico
  6. 2.6 8 km SSW of Ciales, Puerto Rico
  7. 2.5 0 km NE of Capitanejo, Puerto Rico
  8. 2.8 5 km SSW of Capitanejo, Puerto Rico
  9. 2.9 8 km NNW of Coamo, Puerto Rico
  10. 3.0 1 km E of Jagual, Puerto Rico
  11. 2.4 8 km S of Orocovis, Puerto Rico
  12. 2.9 Puerto Rico region
  13. 3.3 8 km S of Orocovis, Puerto Rico
  14. 2.4 23 km SSE of Arroyo, Puerto Rico
  15. 2.7 2 km E of Santa Clara, 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.