M5.2 Earthquake near Brisas Barra de Suchiate, Mexico — 17 October 2026
A moderate earthquake of magnitude 5.2 was recorded near Brisas Barra de Suchiate, Mexico on , with an epicentre 86 km southwest of Brisas Barra de Suchiate, at a focal depth of 10.0 km. It was the strongest of the 36 earthquakes recorded in Mexico in the preceding 30 days.
Time (UTC): 2026-10-17 13:59:34
Time (your timezone): —
Magnitude: 5.2 (moderate)
Focal depth: 10.0 km (shallow)
Epicentre: 14.0469, -92.8552
Location: 86 km SW of Brisas Barra de Suchiate, Mexico
Country: Mexico
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 5.2 earthquake radiates roughly 951 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.
The USGS assigns this earthquake a significance score of 416, 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.
What the magnitude scale actually measures →
When it happened locally
That is about 07:48 local solar time at the epicentre, around dawn.
This event was shallower than 58% of the 1,074 earthquakes recorded in Mexico in our catalogue and stronger than 97% of them.
Where was the epicentre?
The epicentre was located at 14.0469, -92.8552 — 86 km southwest of Brisas Barra de Suchiate. The closest other recorded event was a magnitude 4.3 earthquake 4 km west of here on 30 August 2026.
The nearest other settlements in our records are Brisas Barra de Suchiate (4 km southwest), Ocós (39 km southeast), Puerto Madero (51 km west-southwest) and Aquiles Serdán (70 km northwest).
Why the 10 km depth matters
At 10 km this was a shallow earthquake. Shallow events release their energy close to the surface, so for a given magnitude they produce noticeably stronger shaking — and more damage — than deeper ones. Roughly three quarters of all earthquakes worldwide occur at shallow depths.
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 shallow focus makes stronger surface shaking more likely than for a deeper event of the same magnitude.
Read more on how focal depth changes what you feel →
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 M5.2 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 since this event was recorded.
266 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 7.4 event near Puerto Madero on 17 July 2026. This M5.2 event released about 1,995 times less energy than that event.
148 earthquakes have been recorded within 100 km of this epicentre in the past year, 10 of them in the past 30 days.
How long aftershock sequences last, and how large they get →
Where this event sits in the record
This earthquake is part of the October 2026 worldwide record, and of earthquakes in Mexico during October 2026. Browse the full monthly archive to compare periods.
Nearest recorded earthquakes to this epicentre
- M4.3 earthquake near Brisas Barra de Suchiate, Mexico — (4 km W)
- M4.5 earthquake near Puerto Madero, Mexico — (6 km NNW)
- M4.2 earthquake near Puerto Madero, Mexico — (9 km W)
- M4.7 earthquake near Brisas Barra de Suchiate, Mexico — (13 km S)
- M4.2 earthquake near Brisas Barra de Suchiate, Mexico — (16 km SW)
- M4.1 earthquake near Puerto Madero, Mexico — (19 km WNW)
- M4.2 earthquake near Puerto Madero, Mexico — (24 km W)
- M4.4 earthquake near Brisas Barra de Suchiate, Mexico — (26 km S)
- M4.2 earthquake near Puerto Madero, Mexico — (26 km NW)
- M4.3 earthquake near Puerto Madero, Mexico — (33 km NNW)
Other recent earthquakes in Mexico
- M4.9 earthquake near Puerto Madero, Mexico —
- M4.8 earthquake near Soconusco, Mexico —
- M4.7 earthquake near Brisas Barra de Suchiate, Mexico —
- M2.7 earthquake near Delta, B.C., Mexico —
- M1.7 earthquake near Ensenada, B.C., Mexico —
- M1.7 earthquake near Alberto Oviedo Mota, B.C., Mexico —
- M4.2 earthquake near Aquiles Serdán 1ra. Sección, Mexico —
- M3.1 earthquake near Estacion Coahuila, B.C., Mexico —
- M4.9 earthquake near El Arenal, Mexico —
- M2.7 earthquake near Primo Tapia, B.C., Mexico —
Other magnitude 5 earthquakes worldwide
- M4.9 earthquake near Puerto Madero, Mexico —
- M5.2 earthquake near off the coast of Ecuador —
- M5.0 earthquake near Auckland Islands, New Zealand —
- M4.9 earthquake near Merizo Village, Guam —
- M4.9 earthquake near Kinablangan, Philippines —
- M4.9 earthquake near Vilyuchinsk, Russia —
- M5.2 earthquake near Hihifo, Tonga —
- M5.2 earthquake near Sola, Vanuatu —
Questions about this earthquake
How strong was the earthquake near Brisas Barra de Suchiate?
It measured magnitude 5.2 — a moderate earthquake. A magnitude 5.2 earthquake radiates roughly 951 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.
How deep was the earthquake near Brisas Barra de Suchiate?
The focus was 10 km below the surface, which counts as shallow.
Was the Brisas Barra de Suchiate earthquake felt at the surface?
At magnitude 5.2 and a focal depth of 10 km, shaking would have been concentrated near the epicentre.
When did the earthquake near Brisas Barra de Suchiate happen?
17 October 2026 at 13:59 UTC.
Was there a tsunami?
No. The USGS record carries no tsunami-information link for this event.
Have there been aftershocks?
No further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre since this event was recorded.
How often do earthquakes happen near Brisas Barra de Suchiate?
266 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 7.4 event near Puerto Madero on 17 July 2026. This M5.2 event released about 1,995 times less energy than that event.