A powerful earthquake shook El Salvador

 The beginning of 2025 brought dramatic moments to the inhabitants of El Salvador, when on January 5 at 11:18 local time, a powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 6.2 shook a large part of the country. This event, recorded by the American geological survey USGS, showed once again how unpredictable the forces of nature can be and how important it is to be prepared for such natural disasters.

The epicenter of the earthquake was located in the coastal area, about 51 kilometers southeast of the city of La Libertad, inhabited by almost 17 thousand people. The quake, which occurred at a depth of 49 kilometers, was so strong that its effects were felt by millions of residents of the country. According to detailed analyses, strong tremors directly affected about 124 thousand people, moderate tremors were felt by over 2.3 million people, and light tremors reached almost 5.6 million residents of the region.

The USGS issued a yellow alert regarding potential casualties and economic losses. This level of warning suggests the possibility of local damage and casualties, requiring a response from local or regional services. Importantly, the expected economic losses have been estimated at less than 1% of El Salvador's GDP, which in the case of this small Central American country could be a significant burden on the local economy.

Particularly worrying is the fact that most of the inhabitants of this region live in buildings that are extremely vulnerable to seismic shocks. The dominant structures here are made of mud and traditional building materials, which do not cope well with seismic vibrations. Although there are also buildings with increased resistance to earthquakes, they are a minority in local architecture.

The history of earthquakes in this region shows that they are often accompanied by dangerous secondary phenomena, especially landslides, which can significantly increase the scale of destruction and losses. This aspect is particularly important in the context of El Salvador's terrain and the construction techniques used there.

The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources of El Salvador (MARN) recorded a series of six aftershocks ranging in magnitude from 3.9 to 4.8. Although they may seem relatively weak compared to the main shock, combined with the already weakened infrastructure, they may pose an additional threat to residents.

Fortunately, according to initial reports from the Civil Defense, there were no fatalities or serious property damage. This is particularly positive news, considering the scale of the phenomenon and the potential threats it posed. This may indicate the effectiveness of local warning and emergency preparedness systems.

This event is yet another reminder of the importance of properly preparing infrastructure and society for seismic hazards, especially in earthquake-prone regions. It also shows how important it is to constantly monitor seismic activity and maintain efficient emergency response systems.