Back to map

M5.5 Earthquake near 69 km SSW of Chirilagua, El Salvador

UTC time: 2026-08-13 00:30:04 UTC Local time: —
Earthquake newsQuakeMap24
Archive record · original publication time was not recorded Content updated:

Automatically generated from measurement data by QuakeMap24. Values may change after further analysis.

Magnitude
M5.5
Depth
56.8 km
Source
USGS

69 km SSW of Chirilagua, El Salvador

Map

M5.5 Earthquake near 69 km SSW of Chirilagua, El Salvador · 2026-08-13 — Map showing the location of the epicenter
M5.5 Earthquake near 69 km SSW of Chirilagua, El Salvador · 2026-08-13 — Map showing the location of the epicenter

About this earthquake

A magnitude M5.5 earthquake was recorded near 69 km SSW of Chirilagua, El Salvador on August 13, 2026 at 00:30 UTC. The hypocenter lay relatively close to the surface at around 57 km, increasing how strongly it was felt. Events of this size can cause damage near the epicenter.

The data is provided by USGS and cross-checked across seismological networks.

Details

ID
46ae057cdbee27da1266fbfad5e28457617b5331
Magnitude
M5.5
Depth
56.8 km
UTC time
2026-08-13 00:30:04 UTC
Local time
—
Country
—
Source
usgs
Coordinates
12.60840, -88.28640
Temperature
30.8°C

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 56.8 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 56.8 km
Shallow
56.8 km
Why depth matters

Shallow quakes release energy near the surface — shaking is felt more strongly and damage potential is higher.

Depth classes per USGS

Felt reports

45felt reports at EMSC / LastQuake

Voluntary reports of feeling this earthquake. The count is not an intensity measurement and is not added to USGS DYFI reports.

Data updated: Aug 13, 2026, 8:44 PM UTC · Last checked: Sep 13, 2026, 12:07 AM UTC

Source: EMSC / LastQuake

Estimated impact

Green No or minimal impact expected.
Estimated population exposed
IV 1'815'552
15 Felt reports · max reported intensity 3.4

Ground shaking

IV
Light · Intensity (MMI) IV
Felt by many, no damage.

Tectonic context

Located on the Caribbean Plate.
Near the boundary Caribbean ↔ Cocos · about 92 km away

Nearby population centers

Distances are straight-line distances from the epicenter. Population data: GeoNames.

PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation
Puerto El Triunfo80.3 kmN19'074
San Miguel97.9 kmN247'126
San Salvador154.8 kmNW525'990

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Cosiguina
    Distance: 88 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 872 m ·Last eruption: 1859 ·Nicaragua
  • San Miguel
    Distance: 92 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'130 m ·Last eruption: 2023 ·El Salvador
  • Usulutan
    Distance: 92 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'449 m ·El Salvador
  • Aramuaca, Laguna
    Distance: 93 km ·Maar ·Elevation: 181 m ·El Salvador
  • Taburete
    Distance: 96 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'172 m ·El Salvador
  • Chinameca
    Distance: 97 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'300 m ·El Salvador

Subsequent earthquakes nearby

Events recorded after this earthquake within 150 km. They are not automatically classified as aftershocks.

First 6 hours0
First 24 hours4
First 72 hours9
Strongest subsequent eventM4.6
M2.82026-08-13 09:49:37 UTC37.7 kmNEAR COAST OF NICARAGUA M4.12026-08-13 13:49:25 UTC85.3 kmNEAR COAST OF NICARAGUA M3.02026-08-13 14:16:35 UTC85.5 kmNEAR COAST OF NICARAGUA M3.52026-08-13 16:51:26 UTC72.9 kmNEAR COAST OF NICARAGUA M3.62026-08-14 16:02:00 UTC67.1 kmOFFSHORE EL SALVADOR M3.42026-08-14 17:54:15 UTC145.2 kmNEAR COAST OF NICARAGUA M2.62026-08-14 19:31:47 UTC71.3 kmEl Viejo M2.52026-08-14 22:53:15 UTC122.3 kmEl Realejo M2.82026-08-15 04:10:18 UTC52.1 kmNEAR COAST OF NICARAGUA M3.42026-08-16 00:42:28 UTC14.7 kmOFFSHORE EL SALVADOR M2.62026-08-16 01:55:35 UTC52.9 kmNEAR COAST OF NICARAGUA M2.92026-08-17 01:19:54 UTC73.7 kmOFFSHORE EL SALVADOR

Comparison of seismic sources

3 sources currently report magnitudes from M5.5 to M5.5.

Measurements can differ because agencies use different networks and calculation methods. Values may be revised.

SourceMagnitudeDepthPosition difference
GFZM5.510.0 km15.8 km
EMSCM5.556.8 km0.0 km
USGSM5.556.8 km0.0 km

No unambiguous area assignment

Context for this earthquake

This event has no unambiguous country assignment in the analysed catalogue. It is therefore not assigned to a regional profile.

Earthquake overview

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#4
Earlier events M≥4200
Earlier events M≥520
Compared since2025-01-04

The QuakeMap24 comparison dataset begins on 2024-03-23. Earlier earthquakes may not be included.

Strongest earlier events

M6.22025-01-05 17:18:45 UTC106.0 km56 km SSE of La Libertad, El Salvador M5.82025-01-05 17:19:00 UTC73.1 kmEl Tránsito M5.62026-03-15 05:00:43 UTC1.5 kmOff Coast of Central America M5.42025-06-18 11:57:25 UTC64.6 kmOFFSHORE EL SALVADOR M5.42025-06-18 11:57:24 UTC61.9 km21 km S of Puerto El Triunfo, El Salvador

Stats (last 24h)

Global (24h)
622
Country (24h)
—
—
Current earthquakes in
Magnitude Place Local time
No recent events available.

Share