Strong M6.5 earthquake hits near the coast of El Salvador
A strong earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.5 hit near the coast of El Salvador at 00:22 UTC on July 19, 2023. The agency is reporting a depth of 69.7 km (43.4 miles). EMSC is reporting M6.5 at a depth of 68.8 km (42.7 miles).
The epicenter was located 43.3 km (26.9 miles) S of Intipucá (population 3 540), 65.8 km (40.9 miles) SSW of La Unión (population 26 807), 67.8 km (42.2 miles) SSE of San Rafael Oriente (population 19 095), and 69.2 km (43 miles) SSE of Usulután (population 51 910), El Salvador.
446 000 people are estimated to have felt strong shaking, 1 545 000 moderate and 11 006 000 light.
Based on earthquake information and historic tsunami records, the earthquake is not expected to generate a tsunami, NWS NTWC said.
The USGS issued a Yellow alert for shaking-related fatalities and economic losses. Some casualties and damage are possible and the impact should be relatively localized. Past yellow alerts have required a local or regional level response.
Estimated economic losses are less than 1% of GDP of El Salvador.
Overall, the population in this region resides in structures that are highly vulnerable to earthquake shaking, though some resistant structures exist. The predominant vulnerable building types are mud wall and adobe block construction.
Recent earthquakes in this area have caused secondary hazards such as landslides that might have contributed to losses.
The quake was followed by M5.0 at 02:46 UTC.
Estimated population exposure to earthquake shaking
Selected cities exposed
Regional seismicity
Featured image credit: TW/SAM, Google
If you value what we do here, create your ad-free account and support our journalism.
Your support makes a difference
Dear valued reader,
We hope that our website has been a valuable resource for you.
The reality is that it takes a lot of time, effort, and resources to maintain and grow this website. We rely on the support of readers like you to keep providing high-quality content.
If you have found our website to be helpful, please consider making a contribution to help us continue to bring you the information you need. Your support means the world to us and helps us to keep doing what we love.
Support us by choosing your support level – Silver, Gold or Platinum.
Other support options include Patreon pledges, one-off payments using PayPal and purchasing products from our webshop.
Thank you for your consideration. Your support is greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
Teo Blašković
Commenting rules and guidelines
We value the thoughts and opinions of our readers and welcome healthy discussions on our website. In order to maintain a respectful and positive community, we ask that all commenters follow these rules:
We reserve the right to remove any comments that violate these rules. By commenting on our website, you agree to abide by these guidelines. Thank you for helping to create a positive and welcoming environment for all.