USGS · August 7, 2026

Magnitude 2.8 earthquake — 36 km W of Rincón, Puerto Rico

A magnitude 2.8 earthquake was recorded near 36 km W of Rincón, Puerto Rico on Aug 7, 2026, 12:42 AM (local time at the epicentre — AST, UTC-4), at a depth of about 9.8 km, according to USGS.

USGSShallow (0–70 km)Reviewed by a seismologist

Updated 2026-09-04 18:47 UTC

The full record

Magnitude
M 2.8 · duration magnitude
Location
36 km W of Rincón, Puerto Rico
Local time at the epicentre
Aug 7, 2026, 12:42 AM — AST, UTC-4
Time (UTC)
2026-08-07 04:42 UTC
Depth
9.8 km · Shallow (0–70 km)
Coordinates
18.375, -67.594
Felt reports
No “Did You Feel It?” reports submitted
Tsunami
No tsunami evaluation was flagged for this earthquake.
Significance
122 / 1000 · routine event
Solution quality
14 seismic stations used · 310° azimuthal gap (less well-constrained epicentre)
Review status
Reviewed by a seismologist
Catalog
USGS

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.

Felt it yourself? USGS collects first-hand reports through “Did You Feel It?”, and those reports are what produce the community intensity above.

Who lives nearby

About 0 people live in towns within 30 km of the epicentre, and 521,275 within 100 km. Distances are from the epicentre to the town centre.

PlaceDistancePopulation
Rincón36.6 km E1,499
Stella37.1 km E1,293
Aguada42.9 km E4,040
La Playa44.1 km ESE2,139
Luyando46.1 km E3,553
Aguadilla46.8 km E16,073
Las Marias48.2 km E1,823
Caban49.0 km E3,959
Añasco49.1 km ESE6,136
Moca50.8 km E4,964

Earthquake history in this area

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

Other earthquakes near this epicentre

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

Be first to know about the next earthquake near 36 km W of Rincón, Puerto Rico

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Frequently asked questions

How strong was the 36 km W of Rincón, Puerto Rico earthquake?

Magnitude 2.8 (duration magnitude), at a depth of 9.8 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 7, 2026, 12:42 AM (local time at the epicentre — AST, UTC-4). In universal time: 2026-08-07 04:42 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 Rincón, 36.6 km E (population 1,499).

Are earthquakes normal in this area?

Yes. The largest earthquake recorded within 200 km since 1960 was magnitude 6.4 (4 km SSE of Indios, Puerto Rico, 2020), and 46 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.