{"id":5494,"date":"2026-08-10T21:56:06","date_gmt":"2026-08-10T21:56:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ialert.com\/blog\/?p=5494"},"modified":"2026-08-10T21:56:06","modified_gmt":"2026-08-10T21:56:06","slug":"colombia-earthquake-m7-4-aug-10-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ialert.com\/blog\/news-events\/colombia-earthquake-m7-4-aug-10-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Colombia Earthquake M7.4 Strikes Near San Jos\u00e9 del Palmar"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>  Image 1:<\/p>\n<figure style=\"margin: 0 0 26px 0; padding: 6px; border: 1px solid #d5d8dc; border-radius: 4px; background: \n  #ffffff;\"><br \/>\n  <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ialert.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/ialert-colombia-earthquake-m7-4-shakemap-august-10-2026.jpg\" alt=\"Colombia earthquake M7.4 USGS ShakeMap intensity contours across Choc\u00f3, Risaralda and the Cauca \n  Valley on August 10, 2026\" width=\"1600\" height=\"838\" style=\"display: block; max-width: 100%; height: auto; \n  margin: 0; border-radius: 2px;\"><figcaption style=\"margin: 9px 3px 3px 3px; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.45; color: #5a5f66;\">USGS ShakeMap<br \/>\n  intensity contours for the Colombia earthquake M7.4 of August 10, 2026. The star marks the epicenter 5 km east<br \/>\n  of San Jos\u00e9 del Palmar. Source: U.S. Geological Survey.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Colombia earthquake M7.4 struck approximately 5 kilometers east of San Jos\u00e9 del Palmar on August 10, 2026, at<br \/>\n  12:34 UTC (7:34 a.m. local time), generating ShakeMap intensity values of VII and Did You Feel It? reports<br \/>\n  reaching VIII, indicating very strong to severe shaking across a wide area. The USGS PAGER loss-estimate alert<br \/>\n  remained pending at the time of this report, meaning casualty and economic impact figures had not yet been<br \/>\n  released.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Key points:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Magnitude 7.4 earthquake, among the largest to strike Colombia in recent years.<\/li>\n<li>Epicenter 5 km east of San Jos\u00e9 del Palmar, Choc\u00f3 department, Colombia.<\/li>\n<li>Depth: 107 km (66.5 miles), classified as an intermediate-depth event.<\/li>\n<li>ShakeMap intensity VII (very strong); DYFI crowd-sourced reports reached intensity VIII (severe).<\/li>\n<li>Shaking modeled across the Choc\u00f3 and Cauca Valley corridor, including Pereira, Armenia, Manizales and<br \/>\n  Tulu\u00e1.<\/li>\n<li>Epicenter roughly 135 km inland at 107 km depth, so no tsunami threat.<\/li>\n<li>USGS PAGER casualty and damage alert was still pending as of publication.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>What We Know About the Colombia Earthquake M7.4<\/h2>\n<p>The Colombia earthquake M7.4 was centered at 4.903\u00b0N, 76.189\u00b0W, placing the epicenter in the western Andes<br \/>\n  foothills of Choc\u00f3 department, a rugged and sparsely populated region. The event occurred at a depth of 107<br \/>\n  kilometers, which classifies it as an intermediate-depth earthquake under the standard seismological definition<br \/>\n  of 70 to 300 kilometers. That depth is a critical factor in understanding how widely shaking spread.<\/p>\n<p>ShakeMap, the USGS automated ground-motion mapping tool, assigned Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) VII to<br \/>\n  the epicentral area, corresponding to very strong shaking where poorly built structures face damage and<br \/>\n  well-built ones may sustain moderate damage. Crowd-sourced Did You Feel It? (DYFI) responses pushed perceived<br \/>\n  intensity to VIII, the level USGS labels severe, suggesting that shaking felt by residents was more pronounced<br \/>\n  than the instrument-based estimate in certain spots.<\/p>\n<p>The epicenter sits roughly 135 kilometers inland from the Pacific coast, and the rupture occurred 107<br \/>\n  kilometers below the surface. Neither condition supports tsunami generation, and no tsunami threat was<br \/>\n  associated with this event.<\/p>\n<h2>Where the Colombia Earthquake M7.4 Was Felt<\/h2>\n<p>ShakeMap contours place the strongest modeled shaking over the epicentral zone in Choc\u00f3 and across the<br \/>\n  neighboring coffee-belt corridor. Pereira, Armenia, Manizales, Cartago and Tulu\u00e1 all fall inside the<br \/>\n  higher-intensity bands, with Pereira roughly 55 kilometers east of the epicenter and Armenia and Manizales each<br \/>\n  about 70 to 75 kilometers away.<\/p>\n<p>Lighter shaking extended well beyond that core. Quibd\u00f3, Buenaventura and Cali sit inside the outer contours,<br \/>\n  and the weakest modeled bands reach Medell\u00edn roughly 165 kilometers to the northeast and Bogot\u00e1 roughly 235<br \/>\n  kilometers to the east. A felt footprint that large across mountainous terrain is characteristic of a deep<br \/>\n  event, not a shallow one.<\/p>\n<h2>Meteorologist&#8217;s Take<\/h2>\n<p>Though earthquakes fall outside traditional meteorology, hazard communication is a core part of what we do at<br \/>\n  iAlert. The Colombia earthquake M7.4 is notable for its intermediate depth. Shallower quakes, those less than<br \/>\n  70 kilometers down, tend to cause more localized but intense surface damage. Intermediate-depth events like this<br \/>\n  one distribute energy across a much broader footprint, sometimes producing noticeable shaking hundreds of<br \/>\n  kilometers from the epicenter.<\/p>\n<p>A magnitude 7.4 releases roughly 32 times more seismic energy than a magnitude 6.4. At 107 kilometers beneath<br \/>\n  the northern Andes, the rupture most likely occurred inside the subducting Nazca plate rather than on the<br \/>\n  shallower plate boundary itself. The gap between the ShakeMap instrumental intensity of VII and the DYFI<br \/>\n  perceived intensity of VIII is not unusual: building resonance, local geology, and soil amplification can make<br \/>\n  shaking feel stronger than raw ground-motion data suggests.<\/p>\n<p>The pending PAGER alert is the most important unknown right now. PAGER correlates estimated shaking with<br \/>\n  population exposure and regional construction vulnerability to project probable casualty ranges. Because San<br \/>\n  Jos\u00e9 del Palmar sits in a remote, mountainous zone, access for damage assessment teams may be slow, and<br \/>\n  landslide hazard in steep Andean terrain is a serious secondary concern after any large earthquake in this<br \/>\n  region.<\/p>\n<h2>Safety Steps After the Colombia Earthquake M7.4<\/h2>\n<p>If you felt the shaking and are still inside a structure, the immediate step during any renewed motion is to<br \/>\n  drop, cover, and hold on until it fully stops. Once shaking ends, move away from damaged buildings and stay<br \/>\n  alert for aftershocks, which can follow a M7.4 main shock for days to weeks, sometimes at magnitudes above<br \/>\n  6.0.<\/p>\n<p>In steep Andean terrain, heavy rain or aftershock vibration can trigger landslides on slopes already<br \/>\n  destabilized by the main shock. Avoid river valleys and canyon bottoms near the epicenter until local<br \/>\n  authorities confirm those routes are clear. Follow official guidance from Colombia&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sgc.gov.co\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Servicio Geol\u00f3gico Colombiano<\/a> and local<br \/>\n  emergency management agencies for evacuation orders or shelter-in-place directives.<\/p>\n<p>Stay informed through real-time alerts. You can monitor <a href=\"https:\/\/ialert.com\/analysis.php#alerts\">active weather and hazard alerts on iAlert<\/a> for ongoing updates<br \/>\n  as the situation develops.<\/p>\n<h2>Colombia Earthquake M7.4 FAQ<\/h2>\n<h3>How deep was the Colombia earthquake M7.4?<\/h3>\n<p>The Colombia earthquake M7.4 struck at a depth of 107 kilometers, making it an intermediate-depth event. That<br \/>\n  depth caused shaking to spread across a wide area rather than concentrating damage near a single point.<\/p>\n<h3>What was the ShakeMap intensity level?<\/h3>\n<p>ShakeMap assigned MMI VII, described by USGS as very strong, to the epicentral area. Did You Feel It?<br \/>\n  crowd-sourced reports from residents reached intensity VIII, described as severe, in some locations.<\/p>\n<h3>Was there a tsunami threat?<\/h3>\n<p>No. The epicenter was roughly 135 kilometers inland from the Pacific coast at a depth of 107 kilometers. Deep<br \/>\n  inland ruptures of this type do not displace seawater, so no tsunami was generated.<\/p>\n<h3>Has PAGER issued a damage or casualty estimate?<\/h3>\n<p>As of the time of this report, the USGS PAGER alert for this event was still pending. No official casualty or<br \/>\n  economic loss figures had been released.<\/p>\n<h3>Should residents expect aftershocks?<\/h3>\n<p>Yes. A magnitude 7.4 main shock typically generates aftershocks for days to weeks. Some aftershocks following<br \/>\n  an event this size can exceed magnitude 6.0 and cause additional damage to already weakened structures.<\/p>\n<p><em>This report on the Colombia earthquake M7.4 reflects USGS data available at the time of publication.<br \/>\n  Magnitude, depth, and intensity values are routinely revised as more seismic stations report, and the PAGER<br \/>\n  alert level may change once it is issued. We will update this page as new information is released.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>Sources:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/earthquake.usgs.gov\/earthquakes\/eventpage\/us6000tjl2\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">USGS<br \/>\n  Earthquake Hazards Program: M 7.4, 5 km E of San Jos\u00e9 del Palmar, Colombia (August 10, 2026)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sgc.gov.co\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Servicio Geol\u00f3gico Colombiano<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div style=\"background: #000000; padding: 20px 24px; margin: 20px 0; border-radius: 4px;\">\n<p style=\"color: #ffffff; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0 0 6px 0;\">Get Severe Weather Alerts for<br \/>\n  Your Location<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: rgba(255,255,255,0.9); margin: 0 0 14px 0;\">When any NWS watch, warning, or advisory is issued<br \/>\n  for your area, iAlert sends you an immediate notification by email, text message, or phone call, 24 hours a day,<br \/>\n  7 days a week.<\/p>\n<p>  <a href=\"https:\/\/ialert.com\/services\/severe-weather-alerts.php\" style=\"background: #C41226; color: #ffffff;\n  padding: 10px 22px; text-decoration: none; border-radius: 3px; font-weight: bold; display: inline-block;\">Sign<br \/>\n  Up for Severe Weather Alerts &rarr;<\/a>\n  <\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Colombia earthquake M7.4 struck 5 km east of San Jos\u00e9 del Palmar on August 10, 2026. ShakeMap intensity reached VII\u2013VIII.<span class=\"more\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/ialert.com\/blog\/news-events\/colombia-earthquake-m7-4-aug-10-2026\/\">Read More&#8230;<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":5496,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","rank_math_focus_keyword":"Colombia earthquake M7.4","rank_math_title":"Colombia Earthquake M7.4 Hits San Jos\u00e9: Powerful, Dangerous","rank_math_description":"Colombia earthquake M7.4 struck 5 km east of San Jos\u00e9 del Palmar on August 10, 2026, at 107 km depth. ShakeMap hit intensity VII, DYFI VIII. PAGER pending."},"categories":[719],"tags":[450],"class_list":["post-5494","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-events","tag-earthquake"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ialert.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5494","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ialert.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ialert.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ialert.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ialert.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5494"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/ialert.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5494\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5501,"href":"https:\/\/ialert.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5494\/revisions\/5501"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ialert.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5496"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ialert.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5494"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ialert.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5494"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ialert.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5494"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}