M7.2 Earthquake near Nippes, Haiti — August 14, 2021
2021-08-14 12:29:08 UTC (2021-08-14) · approx. 7:29 AM UTC-5 local
Felt by 366 people across surrounding communities. Maximum shaking intensity MMI 8.4 (violent).
On August 14, 2021 at 12:29 UTC, a magnitude 7.2 shallow crustal earthquake struck near Nippes, Haiti, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates 18.4335°, -73.4822°. The earthquake was reported felt by 366 peopleacross surrounding communities, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 8.4 (violent). The USGS PAGER system issued a red alert level for this event, indicating widespread severe impact likely. The nearest populated place is Torbeck (population 1,918).
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 7.2 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 951 kilotons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 56 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
Nearest Populated Places
What the Shaking Felt Like
At MMI 8.4 (violent), people in the most strongly affected areas would have experienced: Severe shaking causing considerable damage. Buildings may shift off foundations. Walls crack and may partially collapse. Heavy furniture overturned.
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 366 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 | 3,001,469 |
| MMI 4 | light | 12,481,515 |
| MMI 5 | moderate | 5,032,155 |
| MMI 6 | strong | 804,053 |
| MMI 7 | very strong | 937,101 |
| MMI 8 | severe | 339,757 |
Earthquake Details
-73.4822°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 7.2 earthquake near Nippes, Haiti?
The magnitude 7.2 earthquake that struck near Nippes, Haiti on August 14, 2021 at 12:29 UTC had a depth of 10.0 km. It was felt by 366 people with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 8.4 (violent). For context, this was a strong earthquake capable of causing significant damage.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 18.4335°, -73.4822°, which is near Nippes, Haiti. The nearest populated place is Torbeck (population 1,918).
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 7.2 earthquakes can continue for months to years and gradually diminish over time.
Actions
Location
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000f65h). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2021, August 14, 2021). M7.2 Earthquake near Nippes, Haiti — August 14, 2021. Retrieved February 11, 2026 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000f65h/