Abstract

In December 2019, Puerto Rico experienced an increment in seismic activity, especially in the South and Southwestern regions of the island. The hundreds of buildings and homes damaged or destroyed prompted the hasty installation of multiple shelters and showed the little preparedness of the municipalities of the island to face emergencies of this kind and magnitude. The municipalities of Guánica and Guayanilla reported the largest impacts in terms of number and magnitudes of earthquakes. Surrounding municipalities, however, were also importantly affected. Despite a decrease in seismic activity in February 2020, event occurrences and magnitudes continued to fluctuate. The COVID-19 pandemic, due to its global reach, eclipsed many other emergencies including that of the seismic activity in the island. This study provides data and statistical summaries on this activity from the first week of December 2019 until the second week of 2021 that may be useful for future researchers in the area of seismic engineering and related fields.