EMSC · October 8, 2026

Magnitude 3.7 earthquake near Cuilapa, Guatemala

A magnitude 3.7 earthquake was recorded near 12 km SSW of San José Acatempa, Guatemala on Oct 8, 2026, 12:14 PM (local time at the epicentre — CST, UTC-6), at a depth of about 4.0 km, according to EMSC.

EMSCShallow (0–70 km)Reviewed by a seismologist

Updated 2026-10-08 19:37 UTC

The full record

Magnitude
M 3.7 · m
Location
12 km SSW of San José Acatempa, Guatemala
Local time at the epicentre
Oct 8, 2026, 12:14 PM — CST, UTC-6
Time (UTC)
2026-10-08 18:14 UTC
Depth
4.0 km · Shallow (0–70 km)
Coordinates
14.372, -90.103
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 346,638 people live in towns within 30 km of the epicentre, and 5,689,890 within 100 km. Distances are from the epicentre to the town centre.

PlaceDistancePopulation
San José Acatempa12.1 km SSW6,367
Quesada13.2 km SSE2,250
San Rafael Las Flores14.1 km NW2,572
San Carlos Alzatate14.7 km NNE—
Casillas16.0 km WNW7,698
Oratorio17.8 km SSW10,155
Nueva Santa Rosa18.7 km W10,130
Mataquescuintla19.5 km NNW7,539
Santa Rosa de Lima20.8 km W5,984
Cuilapa23.7 km WSW41,359

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

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

Be first to know about the next earthquake near 12 km SSW of San José Acatempa, Guatemala

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Frequently asked questions

How strong was the 12 km SSW of San José Acatempa, Guatemala earthquake?

Magnitude 3.7 (m), at a depth of 4.0 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?

Oct 8, 2026, 12:14 PM (local time at the epicentre — CST, UTC-6). In universal time: 2026-10-08 18:14 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 San José Acatempa, 12.1 km SSW (population 6,367).

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 2 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), in Venezuela FUNVISIS and in Brazil the RSBR through the Centro de Sismologia da USP. Populated places and time zones: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). Preliminary solutions are revised as more observations arrive.