COSTA RICA NEWS – A 4.4 earthquake shook the Central Valley at 12:48pm due to a local fault.
According to the Laboratorio de Ingeniería Sísmica de la Universidad de Costa Rica (INI-UCR), the quake’s epicentre was 1.6 kilometres from La Guacima, Alajuela, at a depth of 12 kms.
The Observatorio Vulcanológico y Sismológico de Costa Rica, Universidad Nacional (OVSICORI) automatic detection reports the quake a 4.7 on the Richter scale.
No aftershocks were recorded.
Social media reports say the quake was felt strongest in Alajuela, Heredia and La Uruca.
I live as close to the 2009 Cinchona 6.1 quake epicenter, but the effects of yesterday’s quake shook my house about as hard. Other, closer quakes of the same magnitude as yesterday’s quake have gone unnoticed, while I have felt ones as far away as Panama. It amazes me that some areas experience the impact of earthquakes while closer ones do not.
Newcomers to earthquake zones should be aware of these dynamics and take precautions. There is a building code here that requires building techniques that fortify buildings against damage from seismic activity, but it isn’t always followed. Before buying, it is a good idea to have the building checked for compliance with the code. The home of a neighbor of mine experienced serious damage from the Cinchona quake because of code violations, while my modest home had .very little damage.