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 4 earthquakes, the largest an M3.3 (39 km WSW of Stella, Puerto Rico).
Counts include M2.5+ events — the smallest size USGS reports consistently worldwide.
Recent earthquakes
| Magnitude | Time (UTC) | Depth | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| M3.0 | Oct 27, 11:10 UTC | 27 km | 30 km N of Charlotte Amalie, U.S. Virgin Islands |
| M2.8 | Oct 27, 09:14 UTC | 36 km | 64 km NNE of Cruz Bay, U.S. Virgin Islands |
| M3.0 | Oct 27, 03:16 UTC | 36 km | 49 km N of Suárez, Puerto Rico |
| M3.3 | Oct 27, 01:56 UTC | 134 km | 39 km WSW of Stella, Puerto Rico |
| M3.0 | Oct 26, 03:41 UTC | 31 km | 66 km N of San Juan, Puerto Rico |
| M3.2 | Oct 25, 21:17 UTC | 8 km | 69 km NE of Cruz Bay, U.S. Virgin Islands |
| M3.1 | Oct 25, 16:10 UTC | 121 km | 39 km ESE of Cruz Bay, U.S. Virgin Islands |
| M3.4 | Oct 25, 10:55 UTC | 13 km | 85 km ENE of Christiansted, U.S. Virgin Islands |
| M3.1 | Oct 25, 05:11 UTC | 44 km | 71 km NNW of Charlotte Amalie, U.S. Virgin Islands |
| M2.8 | Oct 25, 04:58 UTC | 26 km | 75 km NNW of Charlotte Amalie, U.S. Virgin Islands |
| M3.4 | Oct 25, 04:51 UTC | 29 km | 65 km NNW of Charlotte Amalie, U.S. Virgin Islands |
| M3.2 | Oct 25, 04:41 UTC | 34 km | 65 km N of Culebra, Puerto Rico |
| M3.2 | Oct 25, 04:35 UTC | 52 km | 58 km NNW of Charlotte Amalie, U.S. Virgin Islands |
| M3.2 | Oct 24, 21:07 UTC | 37 km | 57 km NW of San Antonio, Puerto Rico |
| M3.3 | Oct 24, 06:49 UTC | 152 km | 24 km ESE of Isabel Segunda, Puerto Rico |
| M2.6 | Oct 24, 03:34 UTC | 9 km | 2 km WNW of Fuig, Puerto Rico |
| M3.2 | Oct 23, 00:13 UTC | 32 km | 77 km ENE of Punta Cana, Dominican Republic |
| M3.4 | Oct 22, 09:04 UTC | 34 km | 117 km NE of Cruz Bay, U.S. Virgin Islands |
| M3.3 | Oct 21, 05:01 UTC | 26 km | 53 km N of Brenas, Puerto Rico |
| M2.8 | Oct 21, 03:47 UTC | 8 km | 1 km W of Fuig, Puerto Rico |
| M3.6 | Oct 21, 00:55 UTC | 69 km | 93 km N of Brenas, Puerto Rico |
| M2.6 | Oct 20, 23:54 UTC | 14 km | 24 km SSE of Maria Antonia, Puerto Rico |
Notable recent activity
An M3.6 earthquake struck 93 km N of Brenas, Puerto Rico at 00:55 UTC on Oct 21 at a depth of 69 km.
An M3.4 earthquake struck 117 km NE of Cruz Bay, U.S. Virgin Islands at 09:04 UTC on Oct 22 at a depth of 34 km.
An M3.4 earthquake struck 65 km NNW of Charlotte Amalie, U.S. Virgin Islands at 04:51 UTC on Oct 25 at a depth of 29 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.