5.4 Magnitude Earthquake Shakes Southern Portugal, No Major Damage Reported

An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.4 shook southern Portugal early Monday morning, as reported by the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The tremor struck at 5:11 a.m. local time, roughly 32 miles west of Sines, at a depth of nearly 11 miles. While light to moderate shaking was felt along the coast, including Lisbon, no injuries or significant damage were reported.

Commander José Miranda of the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANEPC) confirmed that the agency received numerous calls from concerned residents. “We haven’t yet been able to count the number of calls, but people wanted to know what was happening and how to respond,” Miranda stated. He also reported that no victims or major damage had been recorded, though cracks in buildings were being inspected in the town of Sesimbra.

In a statement, the Portuguese government assured the public that it was closely coordinating with all relevant services following the quake. The government confirmed no significant damage or casualties, urging people to remain calm and follow ANEPC’s recommendations. Despite the size of the earthquake, it was not strong enough to trigger a tsunami along the US East Coast or Europe.

More than 2,000 people reported feeling the earthquake through the USGS’s “Did You Feel It?” tool. USGS also noted that no earthquakes had been recorded within 400 kilometers of the epicenter in the past 30 days. Although seismic activity in Portugal has been relatively quiet recently, the country is located near the boundary of the Eurasian and African tectonic plates, which makes it vulnerable to seismic events, particularly in its southern region and the Azores.

Portugal experiences several minor earthquakes below magnitude 3.0 each year, which are usually not felt or cause damage. Earthquakes in the 3.0 to 5.0 range are less common but can cause minor damage. Monday’s earthquake was the strongest in Portugal since 2009, when a 5.6-magnitude quake hit the southern coast.

Historically, one of the worst earthquakes occurred in 1755 with an estimated magnitude of 8.5-9.0, known as the Great Lisbon Earthquake. It caused the deaths of over 50,000 people, including around 10,000 in Morocco.