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M7.2 Earthquake near San Felipe, Venezuela — 24 June 2026

A major earthquake of magnitude 7.2 was recorded near San Felipe, Venezuela on , with an epicentre 24 km east-northeast of San Felipe, at a focal depth of 21.9 km. It was the strongest of the 5 earthquakes recorded in Venezuela in the preceding 30 days.

7.2 Major

Time (UTC): 2026-06-24 22:04:33

Time (your timezone): —

Magnitude: 7.2 (major)

Focal depth: 21.9 km (shallow)

Epicentre: 10.3874, -68.5200

Location: 24 km ENE of San Felipe, Venezuela

Country: Venezuela

USGS link to NOAA tsunami information: Not linked

Review status: Reviewed

Source: USGS event page

How strong was this earthquake?

Major earthquakes cause serious damage across wide regions and are capable of destroying buildings that were not designed for seismic loading. Events at this size frequently trigger long aftershock sequences lasting months.

A magnitude 7.2 earthquake radiates roughly 951,499 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.

The USGS assigns this earthquake a significance score of 2000, which meets 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 17:30 local solar time at the epicentre, during the afternoon.

This event was deeper than 78% of the 40 earthquakes recorded in Venezuela in our catalogue and stronger than 98% of them.

Where was the epicentre?

The epicentre was located at 10.3874, -68.5200 — 24 km east-northeast of San Felipe. The closest other recorded event was a magnitude 7.5 earthquake 7 km north of here on 24 June 2026.

The nearest other settlements in our records are Yumare (7 km north), Morón (17 km east-northeast), Boca de Aroa (33 km north) and Manuel Monge (39 km north-northwest).

Why the 22 km depth matters

At 22 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 produce strong, widely felt shaking. 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 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

6 further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the seven days after this event, the largest of them magnitude 7.5.

16 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 7.5 event near Yumare on 24 June 2026. This M7.2 event released about 2.8 times less energy than that event.

No other earthquakes have been recorded within 100 km of this epicentre in the past year, which makes this a genuinely isolated event.

How long aftershock sequences last, and how large they get →

Where this event sits in the record

This earthquake is part of the June 2026 worldwide record, and of earthquakes in Venezuela during June 2026. Browse the full monthly archive to compare periods.

Nearest recorded earthquakes to this epicentre

Other recent earthquakes in Venezuela

All recorded earthquakes in Venezuela →

Other magnitude 7 earthquakes worldwide

All magnitude 7 earthquakes →

Questions about this earthquake

How strong was the earthquake near San Felipe?

It measured magnitude 7.2 — a major earthquake. A magnitude 7.2 earthquake radiates roughly 951,499 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.

How deep was the earthquake near San Felipe?

The focus was 22 km below the surface, which counts as shallow.

Was the San Felipe earthquake felt at the surface?

At magnitude 7.2 and a focal depth of 22 km, shaking would have been concentrated near the epicentre.

When did the earthquake near San Felipe happen?

24 June 2026 at 22:04 UTC.

Was there a tsunami?

No. The USGS record carries no tsunami-information link for this event.

Have there been aftershocks?

6 further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the seven days after this event, the largest of them magnitude 7.5.

How often do earthquakes happen near San Felipe?

16 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 7.5 event near Yumare on 24 June 2026. This M7.2 event released about 2.8 times less energy than that event.