Recent earthquakes near San Juan
San Juan sits on the north coast of Puerto Rico, near the Puerto Rico Trench where the North American Plate subducts beneath the Caribbean Plate, one of the deepest ocean trenches on Earth. The island is squeezed between this trench and faults to the south. The 2020 southwestern Puerto Rico sequence (M6.4) and the 1918 Mona Passage earthquake and tsunami are key events. In the past 24 hours, San Juan has recorded 7 earthquakes, the largest an M3.6 (139 km NNE of Suárez, Puerto Rico).
Counts include M2.5+ events — the smallest size USGS reports consistently worldwide.
Recent earthquakes
| Magnitude | Time (UTC) | Depth | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| M3.6 | Sep 12, 11:48 UTC | 69 km | 119 km NE of Punta Cana, Dominican Republic |
| M2.6 | Sep 12, 09:52 UTC | 14 km | 1 km SSE of Indios, Puerto Rico |
| M3.5 | Sep 12, 08:58 UTC | 76 km | 86 km ENE of Punta Cana, Dominican Republic |
| M3.5 | Sep 12, 06:45 UTC | 9 km | 72 km NNE of Cruz Bay, U.S. Virgin Islands |
| M3.6 | Sep 12, 04:01 UTC | 19 km | 139 km NNE of Suárez, Puerto Rico |
| M3.4 | Sep 12, 02:47 UTC | 61 km | 102 km N of Charlotte Amalie, U.S. Virgin Islands |
| M3.5 | Sep 12, 02:43 UTC | 79 km | 65 km N of Charlotte Amalie, U.S. Virgin Islands |
| M3.4 | Sep 11, 11:40 UTC | 20 km | 102 km NNE of Vieques, Puerto Rico |
| M3.8 | Sep 11, 08:12 UTC | 90 km | 113 km N of Culebra, Puerto Rico |
| M2.9 | Sep 10, 16:08 UTC | 76 km | 55 km N of Charlotte Amalie, U.S. Virgin Islands |
| M3.2 | Sep 10, 09:48 UTC | 59 km | 54 km ENE of Cruz Bay, U.S. Virgin Islands |
| M3.1 | Sep 9, 19:01 UTC | 9 km | 71 km NNE of Cruz Bay, U.S. Virgin Islands |
| M3.3 | Sep 9, 05:33 UTC | 16 km | 64 km SW of Pole Ojea, Puerto Rico |
| M2.5 | Sep 9, 00:04 UTC | 4 km | 15 km W of Pole Ojea, Puerto Rico |
| M3.2 | Sep 8, 19:50 UTC | 93 km | 70 km ENE of Punta Cana, Dominican Republic |
| M3.0 | Sep 8, 01:58 UTC | 20 km | 56 km N of Charlotte Amalie, U.S. Virgin Islands |
| M3.2 | Sep 7, 20:10 UTC | 14 km | 27 km N of Isabela, Puerto Rico |
| M3.0 | Sep 7, 10:41 UTC | 77 km | 38 km N of Charlotte Amalie, U.S. Virgin Islands |
| M3.2 | Sep 7, 08:08 UTC | 122 km | 7 km WNW of Maricao, Puerto Rico |
| M3.6 | Sep 7, 02:46 UTC | 143 km | 8 km SSW of Salvaleón de Higüey, Dominican Republic |
| M3.2 | Sep 7, 02:46 UTC | 10 km | 103 km NE of Miches, Dominican Republic |
| M3.4 | Sep 6, 03:55 UTC | 7 km | 38 km NE of Cruz Bay, U.S. Virgin Islands |
| M2.7 | Sep 5, 17:25 UTC | 15 km | 20 km SW of Stella, Puerto Rico |
Notable recent activity
An M3.8 earthquake struck 113 km N of Culebra, Puerto Rico at 08:12 UTC on Sep 11 at a depth of 90 km.
An M3.6 earthquake struck 8 km SSW of Salvaleón de Higüey, Dominican Republic at 02:46 UTC on Sep 7 at a depth of 143 km.
An M3.6 earthquake struck 139 km NNE of Suárez, Puerto Rico at 04:01 UTC on Sep 12 at a depth of 19 km.
Frequently asked questions
Does Puerto Rico get earthquakes?
Yes. Puerto Rico sits in a tectonically active zone between the Puerto Rico Trench to the north and faults to the south, and records frequent small earthquakes. Damaging events are less frequent but well documented.
What was the 2020 Puerto Rico earthquake?
Beginning in late December 2019, a sequence of earthquakes struck southwestern Puerto Rico, peaking with a magnitude 6.4 event on January 7, 2020, near Guánica. It was the strongest to hit the island in a century, killing one person and damaging homes, schools, and the power grid.
Can Puerto Rico have tsunamis?
Yes. The 1918 Mona Passage earthquake, magnitude 7.3, off western Puerto Rico generated a tsunami that killed about 40 people. The nearby Puerto Rico Trench and surrounding faults give the island genuine tsunami as well as earthquake risk.
Nearby regions
Live data from the USGS earthquake feeds. Magnitudes and depths are automated readings and may be revised. Not for emergency use.