A 6.6-magnitude earthquake (downgraded to 6.5 magnitude USGS) occurred in the Pacific Ocean off Nicaragua, Saturday, June 15, 2013. The quake was centered about 49.8 km (31 miles) west of Masachapa, Nicaragua, and 90.1 km (56 miles) west-southwest of Managua at a depth of 35.8 km (22.3 miles).
There were reports of minor damage to structures and cracks in the walls of homes, and the domes of the Church of San Juan, located in the historic city of León, suffered structural damage.
Costa Rica
At the same moment, a 4.9 magnitude earthquake struck Sardinal de Carillo, Guanacaste, Costa Rica near the international airport in Liberia. The Costa Rican quake occurred at a shallower depth of 5 km (3.1 mi), which caused greater ground shaking.
The quake’s epicenter was near the popular tourist destination of Playas del Coco on Costa Rica’s northern Pacific coast. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii issued a precautionary tsunami warning for Nicaragua, but luckily, the large quake did not pose a tsunami threat to the West Coast of the United States, Hawaii, or Canada.
More Quakes Followed
Two more quakes in Costa Rica followed the 4.9 quake. The second rumbler struck with a magnitude 3.4 at the same depth of 5 km (3.1 mi), southeast of Playa Grande in Carrillo, Guanacaste. The third earthquake was a magnitude 3.4 southeast of Moracia de Nicoya, in Guanacaste at a deeper depth of 11 km (6.8 mi).
In Nicaragua, six more quakes were reported, with the largest quake measuring 4.9 magnitude. A series of moderate earthquakes struck other Central American countries at this time, including a 4.8 magnitude quake in Guatemala, a 5.0 quake in El Salvador, and a 5.8 in Jolalpan, Mexico.
Heads up, California and Washington State … the rumbling may be heading your way.