Earthquake.now

M7.4 Earthquake near Puerto Madero, Mexico — 17 July 2026

A major earthquake of magnitude 7.4 was recorded near Puerto Madero, Mexico on , with an epicentre 71 km west-southwest of Puerto Madero, at a focal depth of 10.0 km. It ranked as the 2nd strongest of 47 earthquakes recorded in Mexico in the preceding 30 days.

7.4 Major

Time (UTC): 2026-07-17 14:48:44

Time (your timezone): —

Magnitude: 7.4 (major)

Focal depth: 10.0 km (shallow)

Epicentre: 14.4000, -93.0000

Location: 71 km WSW of Puerto Madero, Mexico

Country: Mexico

USGS link to NOAA tsunami information: Not linked

Review status: Automatic

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 7.4 earthquake radiates roughly 1.9 million tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.

The USGS assigns this earthquake a significance score of 842, 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 08:36 local solar time at the epicentre, during the morning.

This event was shallower than 58% of the 1,036 earthquakes recorded in Mexico in our catalogue and stronger than 100% of them.

Where was the epicentre?

The epicentre was located at 14.4000, -93.0000 — 71 km west-southwest of Puerto Madero. The closest other recorded event was a magnitude 5.6 earthquake 2 km southeast of here on 02 September 2026.

The nearest other settlements in our records are Aquiles Serdán (33 km west-northwest), Brisas Barra de Suchiate (44 km south-southeast), El Arenal (46 km west-northwest) and La Esperanza (El Zapotal) (80 km west-southwest).

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 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

76 further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the seven days after this event, the largest of them magnitude 6.0.

236 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 7.3 event near Puerto Madero on 17 July 2026. This M7.4 event released about 1.4 times more energy than that event.

34 earthquakes have been recorded within 100 km of this epicentre in the past year, 5 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 July 2026 worldwide record, and of earthquakes in Mexico during July 2026. Browse the full monthly archive to compare periods.

Nearest recorded earthquakes to this epicentre

Other recent earthquakes in Mexico

All recorded earthquakes in Mexico →

Other magnitude 7 earthquakes worldwide

All magnitude 7 earthquakes →

Questions about this earthquake

How strong was the earthquake near Puerto Madero?

It measured magnitude 7.4 — a major earthquake. A magnitude 7.4 earthquake radiates roughly 1.9 million tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.

How deep was the earthquake near Puerto Madero?

The focus was 10 km below the surface, which counts as shallow.

Was the Puerto Madero earthquake felt at the surface?

At magnitude 7.4 and a focal depth of 10 km, shaking would have been concentrated near the epicentre.

When did the earthquake near Puerto Madero happen?

17 July 2026 at 14:48 UTC.

Was there a tsunami?

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

Have there been aftershocks?

76 further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the seven days after this event, the largest of them magnitude 6.0.

How often do earthquakes happen near Puerto Madero?

236 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 7.3 event near Puerto Madero on 17 July 2026. This M7.4 event released about 1.4 times more energy than that event.