M 5.3 Earthquake off the Coast of Michoacan, Mexico

Source: USGS · Off the coast of Michoacan, Mexico

A magnitude 5.3 earthquake was recorded by USGS near Off the coast of Michoacan, Mexico. On the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program scale, M5.3 is classified "Moderate". Among the 1,720 earthquake reports Areazine has published, this M5.3 event ranks stronger than 80% of them (rank #258 by magnitude).

Read this earthquake report in 30 seconds

Magnitude
M 5.3
USGS class
Moderate
Location
Off the coast of Michoacan, Mexico
Archive rank
#258 of 1,720
Source
USGS
Published
September 14, 2026
MODERATE

Stronger than 80% of the 1,720 earthquake reports in Areazine's archive, weaker than 257 others.

Record status: a point-in-time USGS detection. Aftershocks, revised magnitude, and felt-report data continue to update on USGS's own event page after publication.

What Happened

A M 5.3 mww earthquake occurred off the coast of Michoacan, Mexico, on September 14, 2026, at 12:38:59 UTC. The event was reviewed by the USGS and had a magnitude type of mww.

Location Details

The earthquake was located at 15.0879°N, 104.4352°W, 5.471 degrees from the nearest station. It occurred at a depth of 10 km, which is classified as shallow (less than 20 km).

Impact Assessment

No felt reports were recorded. There was no tsunami advisory (tsunami flag: 0) and no alert level assigned.

What You Should Know

Earthquakes of this magnitude are considered moderate and may be felt over a wide area but typically cause limited damage. Aftershocks are possible following any seismic event.

Source

Data from USGS: https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/us7000thgs

Original source: USGS Official Notice ↗

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Similar notices nationwide by length or severity timing 8

Two Areazine-derived peer sets for this USGS earthquake report: nearest notices by body length and by same severity near the same agency date. Peers come from other categories so they are not the same-feed Related list above.

What People Ask

Questions readers often have about this USGS earthquake report.

How strong was this earthquake?
A magnitude 5.3 earthquake struck off the coast of Michoacan, Mexico, at a depth of 10 km.
What does an M5.3 "Moderate" reading actually indicate?
The USGS classifies M5.3 as "Moderate" on its Earthquake Hazards Program scale. Events in this range are felt over a wide area and can cause significant damage near the epicenter, particularly to older or unreinforced buildings.
Is this earthquake stronger or weaker than others in the archive?
This is the #258 strongest of the 1,720 earthquake reports in Areazine's archive by magnitude, stronger than 80% of them and weaker than 257 others.
Was Off the coast of Michoacan, Mexico likely to feel this earthquake?
Whether an earthquake is felt depends on its depth, distance from population centers, and local geology, not magnitude alone. Check the USGS "Did You Feel It?" report for this event for real felt-shaking data.