USGS · August 16, 2026

Magnitude 2.6 earthquake — 9 km W of Rincón, Puerto Rico

A magnitude 2.6 earthquake was recorded near 9 km W of Rincón, Puerto Rico on Aug 16, 2026, 04:32 PM (local time at the epicentre — AST, UTC-4), at a depth of about 23.7 km, according to USGS.

USGSShallow (0–70 km)Reviewed by a seismologist

Updated 2026-09-04 18:17 UTC

The full record

Magnitude: M 2.6 · duration magnitude
Location: 9 km W of Rincón, Puerto Rico
Local time at the epicentre: Aug 16, 2026, 04:32 PM — AST, UTC-4
Time (UTC): 2026-08-16 20:32 UTC
Depth: 23.7 km · Shallow (0–70 km)
Coordinates: 18.351, -67.344
Felt reports: No “Did You Feel It?” reports submitted
Tsunami: No tsunami evaluation was flagged for this earthquake.
Significance: 108 / 1000 · routine event
Solution quality: 13 seismic stations used · 139° azimuthal gap (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 119,978 people live in towns within 30 km of the epicentre, and 679,895 within 100 km. Distances are from the epicentre to the town centre.

Place	Distance	Population
Rincón	9.9 km E	1,499
Stella	10.7 km ESE	1,293
Aguada	16.7 km E	4,040
La Playa	18.0 km ESE	2,139
Luyando	19.7 km E	3,553
Aguadilla	21.7 km ENE	16,073
Las Marias	21.8 km ESE	1,823
Añasco	22.8 km ESE	6,136
Caban	24.2 km ENE	3,959
Moca	24.8 km ENE	4,964

Earthquake history in this area

No earthquake of magnitude 4.5+ has been recorded within 200 km of this epicentre since 1960, in Puerto Rico.

Other earthquakes near this epicentre

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

Be first to know about the next earthquake near 9 km W of Rincón, Puerto Rico

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Frequently asked questions

How strong was the 9 km W of Rincón, Puerto Rico earthquake?

Magnitude 2.6 (duration magnitude), at a depth of 23.7 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 16, 2026, 04:32 PM (local time at the epicentre — AST, UTC-4). In universal time: 2026-08-16 20:32 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, 9.9 km E (population 1,499).

Are earthquakes normal in this area?

50 further events were recorded within 100 km of the epicentre 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.