Earthquakes in the U.S. Virgin Islands — May 2026

60 earthquakes were recorded in the U.S. Virgin Islands during May 2026, an average of 1.9 per day.

2 reached magnitude 4 or above and 0 reached magnitude 5 or above. The average focal depth was 37 km.

The month's largest event in the U.S. Virgin Islands was a magnitude 4.1 earthquake near Cruz Bay, U.S. Virgin Islands on 19 May 2026 at 17:47 UTC. A magnitude 4.1 earthquake radiates roughly 24 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.

That is well above the the U.S. Virgin Islands monthly average of 39 events over the period we cover — an unusually active month, and down from the 161 recorded the previous month.

97% of events here are shallow (under 70 km), 3% intermediate (70–300 km) and 0% deep-focus (over 300 km). Almost everything here is crustal. That is characteristic of transform faulting or continental deformation rather than subduction — and it means shaking at the surface is strong for the magnitudes involved.

By band, the catalogue holds 13 in the magnitude 2 range, 45 in the magnitude 3 range, 2 in the magnitude 4 range.

Activity peaked on 20 May, when 14 events were recorded.

The month's largest events were M4.1 near Cruz Bay, U.S. Virgin Islands on 19 May at 57 km; M4.0 near Charlotte Amalie, U.S. Virgin Islands on 19 May at 27 km; M3.9 near Cruz Bay, U.S. Virgin Islands on 17 May at 35 km.

That is 52% above the 39 events the U.S. Virgin Islands averages per month across the 21 months on record.