In the afternoon of Monday October 20th, 2025, a shallow and significant Magnitude 5.0 earthquake hit under land 17 kilometer from Azua in Dominican Republic. The earthquake struck near a very densely populated region. Another nearby country is Haiti.
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Earthquake Summary
The earthquake struck on land in Dominican Republic, 17 kilometer (11 mi) north-east of Azua. The center of this earthquake had a very shallow depth of 10 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.
| Date and Time: | Oct 20, 2025 03:13PM (Santo Domingo Time) - Oct 20, 2025 19:13 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 17 km NE of Azua, Dominican Republic. Coordinates 18°34'39"N 70°38'34"W. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.0 Detected by 91 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.059 . |
| Depth: | 10 km (6 mi) A very shallow depth. |
| Tsunami Risk: | Tsunami very unlikely While this was a shallow earthquake in a coastal area, it appears to have occurred under land (16 km from the sea) with a magnitude that is usually not strong enough to cause tsunami's. Always stay cautious - More info here. |
Nearby towns and cities
This earthquake struck within proximity of multiple countries. Dominican Republic and Haiti are both within 300km distance of its epicenter.
The closest significant population center near the earthquake is San José de Ocoa in San José de Ocoa, Dominican Republic. San José de Ocoa is located 15 kilometer (9 mi) west-northwest of the epicenter.
Multiple major population centers exist within 300km of the earthquake that struck today. Santo Domingo is located 80 km to the east. Santiago de los Caballeros is located 97 km to the north. Santo Domingo Oeste is located 68 km to the east.
A complete list of nearby places is included below.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 15 km (9 mi) ESE from epicenter |
San José de Ocoa San José de Ocoa, Dominican Republic. |
| 17 km (11 mi) SW from epicenter |
Azua Azua, Dominican Republic. |
| 38 km (24 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Constanza La Vega, Dominican Republic. |
| 47 km (29 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Bonao Monseñor Nouel, Dominican Republic. |
| 47 km (29 mi) SE from epicenter |
Baní Peravia, Dominican Republic. |
| 51 km (32 mi) ENE from epicenter |
Villa Altagracia San Cristóbal, Dominican Republic. |
| 60 km (37 mi) N from epicenter |
Jarabacoa La Vega, Dominican Republic. |
| 60 km (37 mi) ESE from epicenter |
San Cristóbal San Cristóbal, Dominican Republic. |
| 63 km (39 mi) SW from epicenter |
Santa Cruz de Barahona Barahona, Dominican Republic. |
| 67 km (42 mi) ESE from epicenter |
Bajos de Haina San Cristóbal, Dominican Republic. |
| 67 km (42 mi) WNW from epicenter |
San Juan de la Maguana San Juan, Dominican Republic. |
| 68 km (42 mi) E from epicenter |
Santo Domingo Oeste Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. |
| 73 km (45 mi) N from epicenter |
Concepción de La Vega La Vega, Dominican Republic. |
| 74 km (46 mi) NE from epicenter |
Cotuí Sánchez Ramírez, Dominican Republic. |
| 75 km (47 mi) E from epicenter |
Bella Vista Nacional, Dominican Republic. |
| 79 km (49 mi) E from epicenter |
Villa Consuelo Nacional, Dominican Republic. |
| 80 km (50 mi) E from epicenter |
Santo Domingo Nacional, Dominican Republic. |
| 80 km (50 mi) E from epicenter |
Villa Francisca Nacional, Dominican Republic. |
| 80 km (50 mi) E from epicenter |
Ciudad Nueva Nacional, Dominican Republic. |
| 83 km (52 mi) E from epicenter |
Santo Domingo Este Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. |
| 83 km (52 mi) W from epicenter |
Neiba Baoruco, Dominican Republic. |
| 90 km (56 mi) NNE from epicenter |
San Francisco de Macorís Duarte, Dominican Republic. |
| 92 km (57 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Salcedo Hermanas Mirabal, Dominican Republic. |
| 92 km (57 mi) N from epicenter |
Moca Espaillat, Dominican Republic. |
| 94 km (58 mi) ENE from epicenter |
Monte Plata Monte Plata, Dominican Republic. |
| 97 km (60 mi) N from epicenter |
Santiago de los Caballeros Santiago, Dominican Republic. |
| 98 km (61 mi) ENE from epicenter |
Sabana Grande de Boyá Monte Plata, Dominican Republic. |
| 98 km (61 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Las Matas de Farfán San Juan, Dominican Republic. |
| 101 km (63 mi) N from epicenter |
Tamboril Santiago, Dominican Republic. |
| 108 km (67 mi) E from epicenter |
Bayaguana Monte Plata, Dominican Republic. |
| 111 km (69 mi) E from epicenter |
Boca Chica Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. |
| 112 km (70 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Villa Bisonó Santiago, Dominican Republic. |
| 118 km (73 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Esperanza Valverde, Dominican Republic. |
| 118 km (73 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Mao Valverde, Dominican Republic. |
| 122 km (76 mi) N from epicenter |
Río Grande Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic. |
| 123 km (76 mi) NE from epicenter |
Nagua María Trinidad Sánchez, Dominican Republic. |
| 124 km (77 mi) NW from epicenter |
Sabaneta Santiago Rodríguez, Dominican Republic. |
| 135 km (84 mi) N from epicenter |
Puerto Plata Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic. |
| 141 km (88 mi) E from epicenter |
San Pedro de Macorís San Pedro de Macorís, Dominican Republic. |
| 147 km (91 mi) E from epicenter |
Hato Mayor del Rey Hato Mayor, Dominican Republic. |
| 153 km (95 mi) W from epicenter |
Thomazeau Ouest, Haiti. |
| 156 km (97 mi) NW from epicenter |
Dajabón Dajabón, Dominican Republic. |
| 158 km (98 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Hinche Centre, Haiti. |
| 167 km (104 mi) W from epicenter |
Croix-des-Bouquets Ouest, Haiti. |
| 170 km (106 mi) E from epicenter |
Santa Cruz de El Seibo El Seíbo, Dominican Republic. |
| 173 km (107 mi) W from epicenter |
Pétionville Ouest, Haiti. |
| 174 km (108 mi) W from epicenter |
Kenscoff Ouest, Haiti. |
| 175 km (109 mi) W from epicenter |
Delmas 73 Ouest, Haiti. |
| 176 km (109 mi) NW from epicenter |
San Fernando de Monte Cristi Monte Cristi, Dominican Republic. |
| 177 km (110 mi) E from epicenter |
La Romana La Romana, Dominican Republic. |
| 179 km (111 mi) W from epicenter |
Port-au-Prince Ouest, Haiti. |
| 185 km (115 mi) W from epicenter |
Carrefour Ouest, Haiti. |
| 199 km (124 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Verrettes Artibonite, Haiti. |
| 203 km (126 mi) W from epicenter |
Jacmel Sud-Est, Haiti. |
| 204 km (127 mi) E from epicenter |
Salvaleón de Higüey La Altagracia, Dominican Republic. |
| 210 km (130 mi) NW from epicenter |
Okap Nord, Haiti. |
| 210 km (130 mi) W from epicenter |
Léogâne Ouest, Haiti. |
| 258 km (160 mi) W from epicenter |
Miragoâne Nippes, Haiti. |
| 275 km (171 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Port-de-Paix Nord-Ouest, Haiti. |
Shaking reported by 151 people
People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 151 people have reported shaking in 16 places, all within Dominican Republic.We keep updating this article as more ground reports become available. You may report that you felt this earthquake here.
Places with most reports:
- Santo Domingo, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic: 109 people.
- El Carril, San Cristóbal, Dominican Republic: 22 people.
- San Cristóbal, San Cristóbal, Dominican Republic: 4 people.
- Piedra Blanca, Monseñor Nouel, Dominican Republic: 2 people.
- Cotuí, Sánchez Ramírez, Dominican Republic: 2 people.
- Bajos de Haina, San Cristóbal, Dominican Republic: 2 people.
- Nagua, María Trinidad Sánchez, Dominican Republic: 1 person.
- Cabral, Barahona, Dominican Republic: 1 person.
- Padre las Casas, Azua, Dominican Republic: 1 person.
- Villa Altagracia, San Cristóbal, Dominican Republic: 1 person.
2 Aftershocks detected
This main shock was followed by 2 smaller aftershocks. Just 37 mins after this main shock, an earthquake measuring MAG-3.2 was detected 13 km (8 mi) east of this earthquake.
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main Shock This Earthquake |
M 5.0 |
Oct 20, 2025 03:13PM (Santo Domingo Time) | - |
| Aftershock | M 3.2 |
37 mins later Oct 20, 2025 03:50PM (Santo Domingo Time) | 13 km (8 mi) E from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.1 |
2 days later Oct 22, 2025 08:36PM (Santo Domingo Time) | 92 km (57 mi) SSE from Main Shock. |
More earthquakes coming?
Earthquakes can create aftershocks. These are generally at least 1 magnitude lower than any main shock, and as time passes the chance and strength of aftershocks decreases.
The chance that a significant earthquake like this one is followed by an even larger earthquake is not so large. On average, scientists estimate a 94% chance that a major earthquake will not be followed by an even larger one. It is still adviced to be aware of this risk
Read: How to Stay Safe during an Earthquake (cdc.gov).Earthquakes like this happen often in the region
Earthquakes of this strength are very common in the region. This is the strongest earthquake to hit since August 5th, 2025, when a 5.7 magnitude earthquake hit 249 km (155 mi) further east. An even stronger magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck on August 14th, 2021.
In total, 17 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5 or higher have been registered within 300km (186 mi) of this epicenter in the past 10 years. This comes down to an average of once every 7 months.
Tsunami very unlikely
While MAG-6.5+ earthquakes may cause tsunami's, it appears that the epicenter of this earthquake hit under land. In addition, the reported depth is deeper than 100km, making the risk of a tsunami even less likely. However always stay cautious and monitor advice from local authorities.
Tsunami Risk Factors
| Factor | Under Sea? | MAG-6.5 or stronger? | Shallow depth? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Explanation | Almost all tsunami's are caused by earthquakes with their epicenter under sea or very near the sea. However stay cautious in coastal areas as earthquakes on land may cause landslides into sea, potentially still causing a local tsunami. | Under MAG 6.5: Very unlikely to cause a tsunami. MAG 6.5 to 7.5: Destructive tsunami's do occur, but are uncommon. Likely to observe small sea level changes. MAG 7.6+: Earthquakes with these magnitudes might produce destructive tsunami's. |
Most destructive tsunami's are caused by shallow earthquakes with a depth between 0 and 100km under the surface of the earth. Deeper tsunami's are unlikely to displace to ocean floor. |
| This Earthquake | This earthquake appears to have struck on land near a coastal area (16 km from the sea). | Not this earthquake. This earthquake had a magnitude of 5. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 10 km (6 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 08/11/25 21:38 (). This article contains currently available information about the earthquake and is automatically composed. We continue to update this article up to a few days after the earthquake occurred.
- US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us6000rich
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20251020_0000291
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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