5.5

M5.5 Earthquake 81 km SW of Puerto Madero, MexicoJuly 19, 2026

2026-07-19 17:45:16 UTC (19 hours ago) · approx. 11:45 AM UTC-6 local

Felt by 1 person across nearby locations. Aftershock of the M5.7 mainshock.

MagnitudeM5.5(mww)
Time17:45 UTC11:45 AM UTC-6
Depth35.0 kmshallow crustal
Coordinates14.159°, -92.905°
Felt by1DYFI response· max MMI 4.0
Status✓ Reviewed by USGS· green PAGER
green Alertno significant casualties or damage expected

On July 19, 2026 at 17:45 UTC, a magnitude 5.5 shallow crustal earthquake struck 81 km SW of Puerto Madero, Mexico, at a depth of 35.0 km and coordinates 14.1592°, -92.9052°. The earthquake was reported felt by 1 personacross nearby locations, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 4.0 (light). The USGS PAGER system issued a green alert level for this event, indicating no significant casualties or damage expected. This earthquake was detected by 90 seismic stations with good location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 465, placing it among routine seismic activity. The nearest populated place is Mazatan (population 7,774).

Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.5 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 3 kilotons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 3.8 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.

This earthquake is part of an ongoing aftershock sequence following the magnitude 5.7 mainshock that occurred 1 day ago 72 km SW of Puerto Madero, Mexico. Since the mainshock, the USGS has recorded 27 aftershocks in this area. Aftershock activity is expected to continue for days to weeks as stresses on surrounding faults redistribute.

The epicenter is located in Mexico, a region characterized by the Middle America Trench, where the Cocos Plate subducts beneath the North American Plate. The nearest mapped fault system is the Middle America Trench. View all earthquakes in Mexico.

Learn more: Magnitude scale · Aftershock sequences

Nearest Populated Places

Mazatanpop. 7,774
MMI 3.8 (light)
La Blancapop. 34,307
MMI 3.8 (light)
Ocospop. 20,215
MMI 3.8 (light)
Ciudad Tecun Umanpop. 46,383
MMI 3.7 (light)
Ciudad Hidalgopop. 17,485
MMI 3.7 (light)
Huehuetanpop. 36,333
MMI 3.6 (light)
Map showing earthquake epicenter at 14.16°, -92.91°

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.

USGS ShakeMap intensity contours for the M5.5 earthquake near 81 km SW of Puerto Madero, Mexico

Source: U.S. Geological Survey ShakeMap. View interactive ShakeMap on USGS

Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking

Aggregated felt-report intensity from 1 citizen response to the USGS Did You Feel It? system. Each colored zone represents the average MMI from reports in that area.

USGS DYFI community-reported intensity map for the M5.5 earthquake near 81 km SW of Puerto Madero, Mexico

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)DescriptionPopulation exposed
MMI 3weak5,749,420
MMI 4light480,252

Earthquake Details

Magnitude
5.5 mww
Depth
35.0 km
shallow crustal
Location
14.1592°N
-92.9052°E
Felt Reports
1
DYFI responses
Intensity (MMI)
4.0
light
Community Intensity
1.0
CDI from reports

Technical Information

Event ID
us7000t1tp
Event Type
earthquake
Status
✓ Reviewed
Significance
465
Stations Used
90
Azimuthal Gap
134.0°
Min Station Distance
3.044°
RMS Residual
0.77 sec
Last Updated
2026-07-19 19:51:56 UTC

Common Questions

How strong was the magnitude 5.5 earthquake near Puerto Madero, Mexico?

The magnitude 5.5 earthquake that struck 81 km SW of Puerto Madero, Mexico on July 19, 2026 at 17:45 UTC had a depth of 35.0 km. It was felt by 1 person with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 4.0 (light). For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.

Where did the earthquake occur?

The earthquake epicenter was located at 14.1592°, -92.9052°, which is 81 km SW of Puerto Madero, Mexico. The nearest populated place is Mazatan (population 7,774). View all earthquakes in Mexico.

Were there aftershocks?

Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.5 earthquakes can continue for days to weeks and gradually diminish over time.

Is this the same earthquake as the M5.7 one earlier?

No. This magnitude 5.5 earthquake is an aftershock of the larger magnitude 5.7 mainshock that occurred earlier 72 km SW of Puerto Madero, Mexico. Aftershocks are smaller earthquakes triggered by stress changes from the mainshock.

Has Mexico had earthquakes this big before?

The largest recorded earthquake in Mexico was the M8.1 Chiapas earthquake of September 8, 2017. Today's magnitude 5.5 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.

Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000t1tp). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.

Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2026, July 19, 2026). M5.5 Earthquake 81 km SW of Puerto Madero, MexicoJuly 19, 2026. Retrieved July 19, 2026 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000t1tp/