M5.1 Earthquake near Lapuan, Philippines — 13 August 2026
A moderate earthquake of magnitude 5.1 was recorded near Lapuan, Philippines on , with an epicentre 22 km east-northeast of Lapuan, at a focal depth of 91.2 km.
Time (UTC): 2026-08-13 09:22:58
Time (your timezone): —
Magnitude: 5.1 (moderate)
Focal depth: 91.2 km (intermediate)
Epicentre: 6.2479, 125.8790
Location: 22 km ENE of Lapuan, Philippines
USGS link to NOAA tsunami information: Not linked
Review status: Reviewed
Source: USGS event page
How strong was this earthquake?
Moderate earthquakes can damage poorly built or unreinforced structures near the epicentre, while well-engineered buildings typically escape serious harm. Shaking is often strong enough to wake sleeping residents over a wide area.
A magnitude 5.1 earthquake radiates roughly 674 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.
The USGS assigns this earthquake a significance score of 402, which is below the USGS threshold of more than 600 for its significant-earthquake list. The ranking combines magnitude with available Did You Feel It responses and PAGER alert level; it is not a direct measurement of damage.
Where was the epicentre?
The epicentre was located at 6.2479, 125.8790 — 22 km east-northeast of Lapuan. The closest other recorded event was a magnitude 4.4 earthquake 31 km southeast of here on 12 August 2026.
Why the 91 km depth matters
At 91 km this was an intermediate-depth earthquake. Energy from events at this depth spreads out before it reaches the surface, which usually means weaker shaking near the epicentre than a shallow quake of the same magnitude, but shaking felt across a wider area.
This catalogue does not ingest eyewitness responses, so it cannot confirm where this earthquake was felt. Based on magnitude alone, an event this size can be felt widely and may cause minor local damage. Its intermediate depth normally reduces peak shaking near the epicentre compared with a shallow event of the same magnitude.
What does the tsunami information flag mean?
The USGS record does not carry a link to NOAA tsunami information. That field is not an all-clear and does not state whether a tsunami occurred. In this case, a damaging tsunami would be less likely because at M5.1 it falls below the magnitude 6.5 threshold that generally applies before a submarine earthquake displaces enough water to generate a damaging tsunami; it occurred inland rather than beneath the sea floor. For an active coastal alert, use tsunami.gov or your local warning authority.
How earthquakes generate tsunamis, and what the alert levels mean →
Aftershocks and local seismic history
No further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the 8 hours since this event.
389 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 7.8 event near Burias on 07 June 2026. This M5.1 event released about 11,220 times less energy than that event.
How long aftershock sequences last, and how large they get →
Where this event sits in the record
This earthquake is part of the August 2026 worldwide record. Browse the full monthly archive to compare periods.
Nearest recorded earthquakes to this epicentre
- M4.4 earthquake near Pondaguitan, Philippines — (31 km SE)
- M4.6 earthquake near Caburan, Philippines — (53 km SSW)
- M5.1 earthquake near Kalbay, Philippines — (75 km SW)
- M5.1 earthquake near Sugal, Philippines — (79 km SW)
- M4.9 earthquake near Sugal, Philippines — (79 km SW)
- M5.3 earthquake near Pangyan, Philippines — (81 km SW)
- M4.3 earthquake near Pangyan, Philippines — (87 km SW)
- M5.0 earthquake near Butulan, Philippines — (88 km SSW)
- M5.0 earthquake near Balangonan, Philippines — (90 km SW)
- M4.5 earthquake near Sarangani, Philippines — (106 km SSW)
Other magnitude 5 earthquakes worldwide
- M5.0 earthquake near Angoram, Papua New Guinea —
- M5.1 earthquake near Barishal, Pakistan —
- M5.1 earthquake near Levuka, Fiji —
- M5.0 earthquake near Chayek, Kyrgyzstan —
- M5.1 earthquake near Pacific-Antarctic Ridge —
- M4.9 earthquake near Honmachi, Japan —
- M5.2 earthquake near Naalehu, Hawaii —
- M4.8 earthquake near Abepura, Indonesia —
Questions about this earthquake
How strong is a magnitude 5.1 earthquake?
Moderate earthquakes can damage poorly built or unreinforced structures near the epicentre, while well-engineered buildings typically escape serious harm. Shaking is often strong enough to wake sleeping residents over a wide area. A magnitude 5.1 earthquake radiates roughly 674 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.
How deep was the earthquake near Lapuan?
At 91 km this was an intermediate-depth earthquake. Energy from events at this depth spreads out before it reaches the surface, which usually means weaker shaking near the epicentre than a shallow quake of the same magnitude, but shaking felt across a wider area.
Was the M5.1 earthquake near Lapuan felt?
This catalogue does not ingest eyewitness responses, so it cannot confirm where this earthquake was felt. Based on magnitude alone, an event this size can be felt widely and may cause minor local damage. Its intermediate depth normally reduces peak shaking near the epicentre compared with a shallow event of the same magnitude.
What does the USGS tsunami field mean for this event?
The USGS record does not carry a link to NOAA tsunami information. That field is not an all-clear and does not state whether a tsunami occurred. In this case, a damaging tsunami would be less likely because at M5.1 it falls below the magnitude 6.5 threshold that generally applies before a submarine earthquake displaces enough water to generate a damaging tsunami; it occurred inland rather than beneath the sea floor. For an active coastal alert, use tsunami.gov or your local warning authority.
Have there been aftershocks?
No further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the 8 hours since this event.
How often do earthquakes happen near Lapuan?
389 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 7.8 event near Burias on 07 June 2026. This M5.1 event released about 11,220 times less energy than that event.