Significant M5.4 Earthquake struck on Monday Night in the North Pacific Ocean 106km from Managua (Nicaragua).

Written by Earthquakelist.org on March 30th, 2026. Last updated March 31st, 2026.

In the night of Monday March 30th, 2026, a significant M5.4 earthquake hit in the North Pacific Ocean 106 kilometer from Managua, Nicaragua. Around 5.4 million people have been exposed to shaking. Other countries near the epicenter include Costa Rica, Honduras and El Salvador.

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Earthquake Summary

This earthquake hit under water in the North Pacific Ocean, 58 kilometers (36 mi) off the coast of Nicaragua, 106 kilometer southwest of Managua. The center of this earthquake had a quite shallow depth of 58 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.

Date and Time:	Mar 30, 2026 01:30AM (Managua Time) - Mar 30, 2026 07:30 Universal Time.
Location:	106 km SW of Managua, Nicaragua. Coordinates 11°24'55"N 86°53'34"W.
Map:	Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps.
Magnitude:	MAG 5.4 Detected by 34 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.053 .
Depth:	58 km (36 mi) A quite shallow depth.
Max. Intensity:	V Moderate On the Modified Mercalli Scale.
Tsunami Risk:	Low tsunami risk Earthquakes under MAG-6.5 do not usually 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 90% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 fatalities.

The USGS classifies the economic impact of this earthquake at level GREEN (low). They expect an 90% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 million US Dollars in economic damage and impact.

Roughly 5.4 million people exposed to shaking

An estimated 5.4 million have been exposed to shaking (An MMI or Modified Mercalli Intensity level II or higher) as a result of this earthquake according scientific estimates published by the USGS.

Light shaking and likely no damage may have been experienced by an estimated 1,079,000 people. At IV, it is the highest MMI level this earthquake has caused. Intensity level III was experienced by the majority of people (around 3.8 million). In their region, weak shaking and probably no damage can be expected.

People in 4 countries have been exposed to shaking. In Nicaragua , around 4.8 million people, with impact levels up to IV (light shaking, likely no damage). Roughly 450 thousand people were exposed to shaking in Costa Rica . A smaller number of people were exposed in the following countries: Honduras and El Salvador.

Nearby towns and cities

4 countries can be found within 300km of the epicenter of this earthquake: Nicaragua , Costa Rica , Honduras and El Salvador .

San Rafael del Sur in Managua, Nicaragua is the nearest significant place from the epicenter. The earthquake occurred 69 kilometer (43 mi) southwest of San Rafael del Sur. The intensity of shaking and damage in San Rafael del Sur is estimated to be around level IV on the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale (light shaking, likely no damage).

Major cities near this earthquake: Managua is located 106 km to the north-east and experienced an intensity of III (weak shaking, probably no damage). Tegucigalpa is located 298 km to the north (intensity unknown, possibly low). León is located 114 km to the north and experienced an intensity of IV (light shaking, likely no damage).

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 graph below overlays a map of the region around the epicenter with earthquake intensity data provided by the US Geographic Survey. The highest intensity level detected for this earthquake is IV.

I Not felt

II Weak

III Weak

IV Light

V Moderate

VI Strong

VII Very Strong

VIII Severe

IX Violent

X Extreme

3 Aftershocks detected

Since this main shock, 3 smaller aftershocks were detected. At a distance of 16 km (10 mi) north of this earthquake, an aftershock struck 11 mins later. It measured a magnitude of 3.3

This main shock was prefaced by 5 smaller foreshocks. A 3.3 magnitude earthquake hit 3 days earlier nearby.

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 March 26th, 2026, when a 5.5 magnitude earthquake hit 95 km (59 mi) further north-east. An even stronger magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck on November 24th, 2016.

In total, 35 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.4 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 3 months.

Low tsunami risk

Based on early data it appears this earthquake was not strong enough (lower than MAG-6.5) to be likely to cause destructive tsunami's. However this earthquake appeared to have hit at a shallow depth under sea, so stay cautious and monitor advice from local authorities.

Tsunami Risk Factors

Sources

Last updated 31/03/26 21:18 (). 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 us7000s8pl
2. European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260330_0000103
3. Geonames.org: World Cities Database
4. Google Maps: Static API
5. Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database

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