Reviewed by USGSGuatemala10d ago
M5.0 earthquake 60 km SSW of Ocós, Guatemala
Wednesday, September 16, 2026, 03:45:03 UTC · 14.029°N, 92.454°W
A magnitude 5.0 earthquake struck 60 km SSW of Ocós, Guatemala on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, 03:45:03 UTC, at a depth of 10.0 km (shallow). It is the strongest earthquake within 300 km since an M5.3 on September 6, 2026.
- Magnitude
- 5.0
- Moderate · mww
- Depth
- 10 km
- Shallow
- Felt reports
- 0
- Did You Feel It?
- Est. shaking
- —
- No ShakeMap
- PAGER alert
- None
- Not issued
- Tsunami
- No flag
- USGS feed
Outlined circle: this earthquakeDashed circle: 75 km aftershock search area
In context
How big was it, and why here?
Energy released
477 tons of TNT
That is about 1/32 of the Hiroshima bomb. Each whole step in magnitude is about 32 times more energy.
Tectonic setting
58 km
from the nearest mapped plate boundary, between the Cocos and North American plates. Earthquakes cluster along boundaries like this one, where plates collide, pull apart or slide past each other.
Depth: shallow
10 km
Shallow earthquakes (under 70 km) produce the strongest surface shaking for their size, so they are the ones most likely to cause damage near the epicenter.
Did You Feel It?
Where it was felt
No “Did You Feel It?” reports have been published for this event yet. If you felt it, you can add your report on the USGS website.
I felt it — report to USGS ↗USGS PAGER estimate
Who was exposed to shaking
USGS publishes PAGER impact estimates for significant earthquakes, usually within an hour. No PAGER estimate is available for this event.
After the main event
Aftershocks within 75 km
USGS lists 1 M2.5+ earthquake within 75 km since this event; the largest was M4.4 on September 21, 2026. Most nearby activity right after a large earthquake is aftershocks, which usually become less frequent over days and weeks.
Regional history
Past M5+ earthquakes within 300 km
USGS lists 906 M5.0+ earthquakes within 300 km before this one (catalog from 1900; older records are less complete). The strongest:
- 8.22017 Tehuantepec, Mexico EarthquakeSeptember 8, 2017 · 191 km NW of this epicenter
- 7.726 km SSW of La Gomera, GuatemalaAugust 6, 1942 · 141 km E of this epicenter
- 7.433 km S of Champerico, GuatemalaNovember 7, 2012 · 61 km E of this epicenter
- 7.34 km SSW of Puerto Madero, MexicoDecember 14, 1935 · 73 km N of this epicenter
- 7.360 km WSW of Puerto Madero, MexicoJuly 17, 2026 · 81 km NW of this epicenter
History · NOAA
Deadliest earthquakes in this area
NOAA’s significant-earthquake database lists 47 damaging, deadly or tsunami-generating earthquakes within 300 km of this epicenter since 1700, which together caused about 5,919 recorded deaths. The most severe:
- 1917M6.0
Guatemala City
26 Dec 1917 · 210 km away · intensity IX
2,650 deathsExtreme damage ($25M+)
- 1902M7.5
Quezaltenango, San Marcos
19 Apr 1902 · 157 km away
2,000 deathsSevere damage ($5–24M)tsunami
- 1773
St. Jago
3 Jun 1773 · 199 km away
600 deathsExtreme damage ($25M+)tsunami
- 1874M7.1
Antigua,Chimaltenango,Amatitlan
3 Sep 1874 · 196 km away · intensity VIII
300 deathsSevere damage ($5–24M)
- 1773M7.5
Antigua
29 Jul 1773 · 199 km away · intensity VIII
100 deathsModerate damage ($1–5M)
- 2017M8.2
Oaxaca, Chiapas, Tabasco; Guatemala
8 Sep 2017 · 191 km away · intensity IX
98 deaths$4.0 billion damagetsunami
NOAA NCEI Global Significant Earthquake Database. Historical figures are estimates; older records are incomplete.