M5.3 Earthquake 9 km SSE of La Parguera, Puerto Rico — July 3, 2020
2020-07-03 20:49:45 UTC (2020-07-03) · approx. 4:49 PM UTC-4 local
Felt by 346 people across surrounding communities. Maximum shaking intensity MMI 6.2 (very strong).
On July 3, 2020 at 20:49 UTC, a magnitude 5.3 shallow crustal earthquake struck 9 km SSE of La Parguera, Puerto Rico, at a depth of 3.0 km and coordinates 17.8995°, -67.0048°. The earthquake was reported felt by 346 peopleacross surrounding communities, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 6.2 (very strong). The USGS PAGER system issued a green alert level for this event, indicating no significant casualties or damage expected. This earthquake was detected by 24 seismic stations with moderate location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 681, making it a moderate-impact event. The nearest populated place is Fuig (population 1,204).
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.3 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 1 kilotons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 2.7 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
The epicenter is located in Puerto Rico, a region characterized by the Puerto Rico Trench oblique subduction zone and the Muertos Trough, with complex Caribbean–North American plate interactions. The nearest mapped fault system is the Puerto Rico Trench. View all earthquakes in Puerto Rico.
Learn more: Magnitude scale · Aftershock sequences
Nearest Populated Places
What the Shaking Felt Like
At MMI 6.2 (very strong), people in the most strongly affected areas would have experienced: Strong shaking felt by everyone. Heavy furniture may move. Books fall from shelves. Plaster and chimneys may crack. Damage is generally slight in well-built structures.
ShakeMap — predicted shaking intensity
Modeled ground-motion intensity contoured on the Modified Mercalli scale (MMI). Computed by the USGS from the moment-tensor solution and regional ground-motion prediction equations.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey ShakeMap. View interactive ShakeMap on USGS
Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking
Aggregated felt-report intensity from 346 citizen responses to the USGS Did You Feel It? system. Each colored zone represents the average MMI from reports in that area.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey Did You Feel It?. View on USGS · submit your own report
Population exposure (USGS PAGER)
Estimated population that experienced each level of shaking. Based on the USGS PAGER rapid impact assessment, which combines ShakeMap output with global population grids.
| Shaking intensity (MMI) | Description | Population exposed |
|---|---|---|
| MMI 3 | weak | 2,656,790 |
| MMI 4 | light | 698,148 |
| MMI 5 | moderate | 144,237 |
| MMI 6 | strong | 4,767 |
Earthquake Details
-67.0048°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.3 earthquake near La Parguera, Puerto Rico?
The magnitude 5.3 earthquake that struck 9 km SSE of La Parguera, Puerto Rico on July 3, 2020 at 20:49 UTC had a depth of 3.0 km. It was felt by 346 people with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 6.2 (very strong). For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 17.8995°, -67.0048°, which is 9 km SSE of La Parguera, Puerto Rico. The nearest populated place is Fuig (population 1,204). View all earthquakes in Puerto Rico.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.3 earthquakes can continue for days to weeks and gradually diminish over time.
Has Puerto Rico had earthquakes this big before?
The largest recorded earthquake in Puerto Rico was the M7.3 offshore earthquake of October 11, 1918. Today's magnitude 5.3 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: pr2020185017). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2020, July 3, 2020). M5.3 Earthquake 9 km SSE of La Parguera, Puerto Rico — July 3, 2020. Retrieved December 22, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/pr2020185017/