EMSC · August 26, 2026

Magnitude 4.0 earthquake — 19 km NNE of El Papayo, Mexico

A magnitude 4.0 earthquake was recorded near 19 km NNE of El Papayo, Mexico on Aug 26, 2026, 01:39 AM (local time at the epicentre — CST, UTC-6), at a depth of about 13.4 km, according to EMSC.

EMSCShallow (0–70 km)Reviewed by a seismologist

Updated 2026-08-31 01:44 UTC

The full record

Magnitude
M 4.0 · m
Location
19 km NNE of El Papayo, Mexico
Local time at the epicentre
Aug 26, 2026, 01:39 AM — CST, UTC-6
Time (UTC)
2026-08-26 07:39 UTC
Depth
13.4 km · Shallow (0–70 km)
Coordinates
16.876, -100.304
Felt reports
No “Did You Feel It?” reports submitted
Tsunami
No tsunami evaluation was flagged for this earthquake.
Review status
Reviewed by a seismologist
Catalog
EMSC (Centro Sismológico Euromediterráneo)

Open the official catalog record

Epicentre and nearby recent earthquakes

The highlighted circle is this earthquake. Smaller circles are other events recorded nearby in the last 30 days.

What the shaking was like

Shallow earthquakes release their energy close to the surface, so they are felt more strongly nearby than a deeper earthquake of the same magnitude.

No intensity estimate was published for this event, which is usual for small earthquakes far from populated areas.

Who lives nearby

About 25,191 people live in towns within 30 km of the epicentre, and 935,990 within 100 km. Distances are from the epicentre to the town centre.

PlaceDistancePopulation
El Papayo18.6 km NNE2,247
Cayaco19.4 km N1,242
El Espinalillo22.4 km ENE1,051
Zacualpan23.8 km N2,488
Las Lomas25.2 km ENE1,303
Los Mogotes25.3 km ENE1,284
Coyuca de Benítez27.4 km ENE13,566
Cacalutla28.0 km N2,010
Hacienda de Cabañas30.4 km NW2,011
Colonia Luces en el Mar31.1 km E1,200

Earthquake history in this area

12 earthquakes of magnitude 4.5+ have been recorded within 200 km of this epicentre since 1960, in Mexico.

Other earthquakes near this epicentre

24 other events within 100 km in the last 30 days.

Be first to know about the next earthquake near 19 km NNE of El Papayo, Mexico

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Frequently asked questions

How strong was the 19 km NNE of El Papayo, Mexico earthquake?

Magnitude 4.0 (m), at a depth of 13.4 km. Shallow earthquakes release their energy close to the surface, so they are felt more strongly nearby than a deeper earthquake of the same magnitude.

Exactly when did it happen?

Aug 26, 2026, 01:39 AM (local time at the epicentre — CST, UTC-6). In universal time: 2026-08-26 07:39 UTC.

Was it felt?

No “Did You Feel It?” reports were submitted for this event. Small earthquakes usually pass unnoticed except very close to the epicentre.

Was there a tsunami warning?

No tsunami evaluation was flagged for this earthquake.

Which towns are closest to the epicentre?

The closest is El Papayo, 18.6 km NNE (population 2,247).

Are earthquakes normal in this area?

Yes. The largest earthquake recorded within 200 km since 1960 was magnitude 7.6 (12 km SSE of Vallecitos de Zaragoza, Mexico, 1979), and 24 further events were recorded within 100 km in the last 30 days.

How do I get alerts for the next earthquake here?

Install the free SeismoWatch Android app, draw a box over this area, set a minimum magnitude, and turn alerts on.

About this page

Event data: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) and, in Venezuela, FUNVISIS. Populated places and time zones: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). Preliminary solutions are revised as more observations arrive.