Shallow M5.7 Earthquake struck on Sunday Afternoon near Puerto Escondido in Mexico.

Written by Earthquakelist.org on February 8th, 2026. Last updated April 9th, 2026.

A shallow and significant Magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck under land 20 kilometer from Puerto Escondido in Mexico in the afternoon of Sunday February 8th, 2026. Shaking may have been felt by a total of 4.3 million people.

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Earthquake Summary

The earthquake struck on land in Mexico, 20 kilometer (12 mi) north-east of Puerto Escondido in Oaxaca. The center of this earthquake had a very shallow depth of 22 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.

Date and Time:	Feb 8, 2026 15:42 (Mexico City Time) - Feb 8, 2026 21:42 Universal Time.
Location:	20 km NE of Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca, Mexico. Coordinates 15°58'9"N 96°55'16"W.
Map:	Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps.
Magnitude:	MAG 5.7 Detected by 44 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.047 .
Depth:	22 km (14 mi) A very shallow depth.
Max. Intensity:	V Moderate On the Modified Mercalli Scale.
Tsunami Risk:	Tsunami very unlikely While this was a shallow earthquake in a coastal area, it appears to have occurred under land (20 km from the sea) with a magnitude that is usually not strong enough to cause tsunami's. Always stay cautious - More info here.

Minimal impact predicted

Based on scientific estimates by the US Geographic Survey (USGS), the risk of high fatalities for this earthquake is classified at level GREEN (low). They expect an 65% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 fatalities, and a 96% chance that the number of fatalities falls no higher than 10.

The USGS classifies the economic impact of this earthquake at level GREEN (low). They expect an 65% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 million US Dollars in economic damage and impact, and a 96% chance that the economic impact of this earthquake falls no higher than 10 million USD.

Roughly 4.3 million people exposed to shaking

This earthquake may have been felt by around 4.3 million people. That is the expected population size of the area exposed to a level of shaking of II or higher on the Modified Mercalli scale according to the USGS.

Moderate shaking and very light damage may have been experienced by an estimated 37,500 people. At V, it is the highest MMI level this earthquake has caused. Intensity level III was experienced by the majority of people (around 2.6 million). In their region, weak shaking and probably no damage can be expected. All exposure to shaking was within the borders of Mexico .

Nearby towns and cities

This earthquake may have been felt in Mexico . The closest significant population center near the earthquake is Puerto Escondido in Oaxaca, Mexico. Puerto Escondido is located 20 kilometer (12 mi) north-east of the epicenter. Puerto Escondido experienced an earthquake intensity (MMI Scale) of roughly IV. That level implies light shaking and likely no damage.

Major cities near this earthquake: Oaxaca is located 124 km to the north and experienced an intensity of III (weak shaking, probably no damage). Tehuacán is located 282 km to the north (intensity unknown, possibly low). Tuxtepec is located 250 km to the north (intensity unknown, possibly low).

A complete list of nearby places is included below. Estimated intensity data (MMI) sourced from a shake-map published by the US Geographic Survey is shown where available (cities without data probably experienced little impact).

Overview of nearby places

Earthquake Intensity Map

The maximum intensity (MMI Scale) caused by this earthquake is V. The map below shows in which areas this earthquake was the most and least impactful. It is based on data from the US Geographic Survey.

I Not felt

II Weak

III Weak

IV Light

V Moderate

VI Strong

VII Very Strong

VIII Severe

IX Violent

X Extreme

Shaking reported by 73 people

People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 73 people have reported shaking in 26 places, all within Mexico.We keep updating this article as more ground reports become available. You may report that you felt this earthquake here.

Places with most reports:

• Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca, Mexico: 13 people.
• Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico: 11 people.
• Oaxaca, Oaxaca, Mexico: 8 people.
• Pochutla, Oaxaca, Mexico: 8 people.
• Xadani, Oaxaca, Mexico: 5 people.
• Santa Lucía del Camino, Oaxaca, Mexico: 5 people.
• Tierra Blanca, Veracruz, Mexico: 2 people.
• Cuautla, Morelos, Mexico: 2 people.
• Xico, México, Mexico: 2 people.
• Vista Hermosa, México, Mexico: 1 person.

5 Aftershocks detected

Since this main shock, 5 smaller aftershocks were detected. A 4.2 magnitude earthquake hit 3 days later 90 km (56 mi) north-east of this earthquake.

In the days before this main shock, 13 smaller foreshocks were detected. Roughly 2 days before this earthquake, a foreshock measuring MAG-4.4 was detected nearby this earthquake.

Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks

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.

It's always adviced to be cautious of the risk of a larger shock following any significant earthquake, however this risk is fairly small. There is a roughly 94 percent change that no larger main shock will follow in the days following this earthquake.

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 January 2nd, 2026, when a 6.5 magnitude earthquake hit 279 km (174 mi) further west. An even stronger magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck on June 23rd, 2020.

In total, 15 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.7 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 8 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

Sources

Last updated 09/04/26 05:48 (). 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.

1. US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us6000s7cl
2. European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260208_0000373
3. Geonames.org: World Cities Database
4. Google Maps: Static API
5. Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database

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