USGS · September 18, 2026

Magnitude 2.6 earthquake near Yauco, Puerto Rico

A magnitude 2.6 earthquake was recorded near 3 km SW of Guánica, Puerto Rico on Sep 18, 2026, 10:08 AM (local time at the epicentre — AST, UTC-4), at a depth of about 7.9 km, according to USGS.

USGSShallow (0–70 km)Reviewed by a seismologist

Updated 2026-09-18 15:47 UTC

The full record

Magnitude
M 2.6 · duration magnitude
Location
3 km SW of Guánica, Puerto Rico
Local time at the epicentre
Sep 18, 2026, 10:08 AM — AST, UTC-4
Time (UTC)
2026-09-18 14:08 UTC
Depth
7.9 km · Shallow (0–70 km)
Coordinates
17.949, -66.931
Felt reports
No “Did You Feel It?” reports submitted
Tsunami
No tsunami evaluation was flagged for this earthquake.
Significance
107 / 1000 · routine event
Solution quality
10 seismic stations used · 212° 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 119,755 people live in towns within 30 km of the epicentre, and 1,403,860 within 100 km. Distances are from the epicentre to the town centre.

PlaceDistancePopulation
Guánica3.5 km NE9,224
Fuig4.6 km NNE1,204
Maria Antonia5.5 km NE1,479
Palomas9.4 km NE2,321
Lluveras10.3 km NNE2,005
Liborio Negron Torres10.6 km N1,303
La Parguera12.6 km WNW1,141
Indios12.8 km ENE1,739
Yauco12.9 km NE20,295
Sabana Grande14.7 km NNW8,961

Earthquake history in this area

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

Other earthquakes near this epicentre

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

Be first to know about the next earthquake near 3 km SW of Guánica, Puerto Rico

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Frequently asked questions

How strong was the 3 km SW of Guánica, Puerto Rico earthquake?

Magnitude 2.6 (duration magnitude), at a depth of 7.9 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?

Sep 18, 2026, 10:08 AM (local time at the epicentre — AST, UTC-4). In universal time: 2026-09-18 14:08 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 Guánica, 3.5 km NE (population 9,224).

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 33 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.