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 M3.8 (22 km SSE of La Romana, Dominican Republic).
Counts include M2.5+ events — the smallest size USGS reports consistently worldwide.
Recent earthquakes
| Magnitude | Time (UTC) | Depth | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| M3.6 | Jul 28, 23:50 UTC | 9 km | 39 km NNW of San Antonio, Puerto Rico |
| M3.6 | Jul 28, 21:19 UTC | 10 km | 124 km NNW of The Valley, Anguilla |
| M3.5 | Jul 28, 17:59 UTC | 12 km | 4 km SSW of Indios, Puerto Rico |
| M3.8 | Jul 28, 06:46 UTC | 102 km | 22 km SSE of La Romana, Dominican Republic |
| M3.3 | Jul 28, 03:02 UTC | 78 km | 50 km ESE of Punta Cana, Dominican Republic |
| M2.5 | Jul 27, 16:44 UTC | 12 km | 6 km SSE of Maria Antonia, Puerto Rico |
| M3.0 | Jul 27, 14:08 UTC | 43 km | 58 km NE of Cruz Bay, U.S. Virgin Islands |
| M3.8 | Jul 27, 08:28 UTC | 43 km | 141 km NNE of Cruz Bay, U.S. Virgin Islands |
| M3.7 | Jul 26, 17:56 UTC | 113 km | 35 km S of La Romana, Dominican Republic |
| M2.6 | Jul 26, 14:52 UTC | 13 km | 4 km SSW of Indios, Puerto Rico |
| M3.7 | Jul 26, 14:31 UTC | 77 km | 76 km NNE of Cruz Bay, U.S. Virgin Islands |
| M2.9 | Jul 26, 13:13 UTC | 13 km | 3 km WSW of Boquerón, Puerto Rico |
| M3.4 | Jul 26, 04:57 UTC | 40 km | 110 km N of Suárez, Puerto Rico |
| M2.5 | Jul 25, 22:45 UTC | 12 km | 4 km SSW of Indios, Puerto Rico |
| M3.1 | Jul 25, 21:46 UTC | 15 km | 3 km S of Guánica, Puerto Rico |
| M2.8 | Jul 25, 11:31 UTC | 16 km | 25 km WSW of Stella, Puerto Rico |
| M3.7 | Jul 25, 10:54 UTC | 89 km | 45 km SSE of Boca de Yuma, Dominican Republic |
| M2.6 | Jul 25, 00:02 UTC | 33 km | 30 km NW of San Antonio, Puerto Rico |
| M2.5 | Jul 24, 14:13 UTC | 6 km | 70 km NNE of Cruz Bay, U.S. Virgin Islands |
| M2.6 | Jul 24, 12:52 UTC | 12 km | 4 km SSW of Ponce, Puerto Rico |
| M3.0 | Jul 24, 08:57 UTC | 22 km | 48 km ENE of Christiansted, U.S. Virgin Islands |
| M2.7 | Jul 24, 08:52 UTC | 15 km | 5 km S of Guánica, Puerto Rico |
| M4.8 | Jul 24, 02:42 UTC | 9 km | 54 km NNW of San Antonio, Puerto Rico |
| M3.1 | Jul 24, 00:55 UTC | 8 km | 53 km N of San Antonio, Puerto Rico |
| M3.0 | Jul 23, 18:35 UTC | 7 km | 70 km N of Tierras Nuevas Poniente, Puerto Rico |
Notable recent activity
An M4.8 earthquake struck 54 km NNW of San Antonio, Puerto Rico at 02:42 UTC on Jul 24 at a depth of 9 km.
An M3.8 earthquake struck 141 km NNE of Cruz Bay, U.S. Virgin Islands at 08:28 UTC on Jul 27 at a depth of 43 km.
An M3.8 earthquake struck 22 km SSE of La Romana, Dominican Republic at 06:46 UTC on Jul 28 at a depth of 102 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.