EMSC · September 16, 2026

Magnitude 4.6 earthquake — 3 km NNW of Oratorio, Guatemala

A magnitude 4.6 earthquake was recorded near 3 km NNW of Oratorio, Guatemala on Sep 16, 2026, 11:24 PM (local time at the epicentre — CST, UTC-6), at a depth of about 85.0 km, according to EMSC.

EMSCIntermediate (70–300 km)Reviewed by a seismologist

Updated 2026-09-17 07:46 UTC

The full record

Magnitude
M 4.6 · body-wave magnitude
Location
3 km NNW of Oratorio, Guatemala
Local time at the epicentre
Sep 16, 2026, 11:24 PM — CST, UTC-6
Time (UTC)
2026-09-17 05:24 UTC
Depth
85.0 km · Intermediate (70–300 km)
Coordinates
14.208, -90.164
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

At this depth the energy spreads out before it reaches the surface, so shaking is usually weaker but felt over a wider area.

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

Who lives nearby

About 202,306 people live in towns within 30 km of the epicentre, and 5,493,995 within 100 km. Distances are from the epicentre to the town centre.

PlaceDistancePopulation
Oratorio2.6 km NNW10,155
San José Acatempa7.5 km NNE6,367
Santa María Ixhuatán12.1 km W3,634
Quesada15.0 km ENE2,250
Cuilapa16.3 km WNW41,359
San Juan Tecuaco17.7 km SW2,210
Jalpatagua18.5 km ESE28,832
Moyuta20.9 km SSE8,145
Nueva Santa Rosa22.7 km NNW10,130
Conguaco23.2 km SE3,415

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

No other earthquakes have been recorded within 100 km in the last 30 days.

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Frequently asked questions

How strong was the 3 km NNW of Oratorio, Guatemala earthquake?

Magnitude 4.6 (body-wave magnitude), at a depth of 85.0 km. At this depth the energy spreads out before it reaches the surface, so shaking is usually weaker but felt over a wider area.

Exactly when did it happen?

Sep 16, 2026, 11:24 PM (local time at the epicentre — CST, UTC-6). In universal time: 2026-09-17 05:24 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 Oratorio, 2.6 km NNW (population 10,155).

Are earthquakes normal in this area?

Yes. The largest earthquake recorded within 200 km since 1960 was magnitude 7.5 (7 km N of Los Amates, Guatemala, 1976), and 0 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.