Shallow M5.8 Earthquake hit in the North Pacific Ocean 125km from Tapachula (Mexico) on Monday Evening.

Written by Earthquakelist.org on August 18th, 2026. Last updated September 8th, 2026.

In the evening of Monday August 17th, 2026, a shallow and significant M5.8 earthquake hit in the North Pacific Ocean 125 kilometer from Tapachula, Mexico. Roughly 7 million people may have felt this earthquake. Guatemala is also near its epicenter.

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Earthquake Summary

This earthquake hit under water in the North Pacific Ocean, 100 kilometers (62 mi) off the coast of Mexico, 125 kilometer southwest of Tapachula in Chiapas. 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:	Aug 17, 2026 23:02 (Mexico City Time) - Aug 18, 2026 05:02 Universal Time.
Location:	125 km SW of Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico. Coordinates 14°11'11"N 93°9'1"W.
Map:	Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps.
Magnitude:	MAG 5.8 Detected by 70 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.037 .
Depth:	10 km (6 mi) A very shallow depth.
Max. Intensity:	IV Light 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 7 million people exposed to shaking

The USGS has published a report estimating the number of people exposed to this earthquake. Acoording to their analysis, roughly 7 million have been exposed to shaking at an MMI level of II or higher.

Light shaking and likely no damage may have been experienced by an estimated 522,500 people. At IV, it is the highest MMI level this earthquake has caused. Intensity level III was experienced by the majority of people (around 5.6 million). In their region, weak shaking and probably no damage can be expected.

People in 2 countries have been exposed to shaking. Roughly 5.6 million people were exposed to shaking in Guatemala , with level IV (light shaking, likely no damage) as the highest recorded. In Mexico , around 1.4 million people.

Nearby towns and cities

3 countries can be found within 300km of the epicenter of this earthquake: Mexico and Guatemala . Futher away, this earthquake may also have been felt in El Salvador.

Located 125 kilometer (78 mi) southwest of the epicenter of this earthquake, Tapachula (Chiapas, Mexico) is the nearest significant population center. The intensity of shaking and damage in Tapachula is estimated to be around level III on the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale (weak shaking, probably no damage).

Multiple large cities are in proximity of today's earthquake. Guatemala City is located 288 km to the east (intensity unknown, possibly low). Tuxtla is located 286 km to the north (intensity unknown, possibly low). Mixco is located 278 km to the east (intensity unknown, possibly low).

The table below provides an overview of all places in proximity of today's earthquake. Where available, the estimated intensity on the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale in each place is included. Places where this information is omitted likely experienced little impact.

Overview of nearby places

Earthquake Intensity Map

The intensity in shaking and damage by this earthquake is illustrated through the map below. The highest intensity measured 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

Shaking reported by 2 people

People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 2 people have reported shaking in 2 places in 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 Madero, Chiapas, Mexico: 1 person.
• Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico: 1 person.

41 Aftershocks detected

After this earthquake struck, 41 smaller aftershocks occurred. At a distance of 21 km (13 mi) southwest of this earthquake, an aftershock struck 2 days later. It measured a magnitude of 4.4

In the days before this main shock, 33 smaller foreshocks were detected. Nearby this earthquake a foreshock struck 2 days earlier. It measured a magnitude of 5.3

Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks

More earthquakes coming?

The risk of aftershocks decreases rapidly over time. Usually, aftershocks are at least one order of magnitude lower than a main shock.

In only six percent of cases, significant earthquakes are followed by a larger main shock, making the current earthquake a foreshock. While the chance of this happening is not so large, it is adviced to maintain cautiousness in the hours and days following a major 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 July 28th, 2026, when a 5.9 magnitude earthquake hit 57 km (35 mi) further east. An even stronger magnitude 8.2 earthquake struck on September 8th, 2017.

In total, 34 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.8 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 4 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 08/09/26 00:28 (). As more information on this earthquake becomes available this article will be updated. This article is automatically composed based on data originating from multiple sources.

1. US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us6000tlkl
2. European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260818_0000176
3. Geonames.org: World Cities Database
4. Google Maps: Static API
5. Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database

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