An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude 7.6 struck the Caribbean Sea Saturday evening between Honduras and the Cayman Islands, prompting tsunami warnings in nearby islands and countries.
“Notable quake, preliminary info: M 7.6 – 209 km SSW of George Town, Cayman Islands,” USGS Earthquakes wrote.
Notable quake, preliminary info: M 7.6 – 209 km SSW of George Town, Cayman Islands https://t.co/uIdsEybY34
— USGS Earthquakes (@USGS_Quakes) February 8, 2025
Initial reports stated the preliminary magnitude was an 8.0.
Tsunami Info Stmt: M8.0 Caribbean Sea 1823EST Feb 8: Event is being reviewed to determine threat for US/Can.
— NWS Tsunami Alerts (@NWS_NTWC) February 8, 2025
Notable quake, preliminary info: M 8.0 – 202 km SW of George Town, Cayman Islands https://t.co/01xIWIdipO
— USGS Earthquakes (@USGS_Quakes) February 8, 2025
Per FOX Weather:
The quake, with a preliminary magnitude of 7.6, prompted authorities to warn of potential sea-level fluctuations and strong ocean currents that could pose a hazard to boaters and beachgoers.
ADVERTISEMENTNo damage was reported in the immediate aftermath of the major quake which was centered more than 100 miles southwest of Georgetown in the Cayman Islands, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The fault line that runs near the islands is known as Cayman Trough and marks the boundary between the North American and Caribbean tectonic plates.
Aftershocks can last for months or even years after the main event.
The USGS says these mini-earthquakes are caused by the readjustments of the fault and usually not as strong as the original quake.
Earthquakes are common in the Caribbean, with some events even being catastrophic for island nations.
In 2021, a 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck southern Haiti, causing significant damage to infrastructure, though the densely populated city of Port-au-Prince was largely spared from damage.
The same nation was devastated in 2010 by a 7.0 magnitude earthquake but due to the event’s shallow depth and its epicenter near the capital, more than 200,000 people were reported killed, according to the United Nations.
#BREAKING: Tsunami alerts and warnings have been issued for all coastlines along the Caribbean Sea after a massive 8.0-magnitude earthquake struck⁰⁰
#Caribbean ⁰
Just moments ago, a massive 8.0-magnitude earthquake struck the Caribbean Sea. The Tsunami Warning Center has… pic.twitter.com/82K6FqkeW8— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) February 8, 2025
U.S. territories such as Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands are impacted pic.twitter.com/OR0pd4IJ9K
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) February 8, 2025
According to The Mirror, Saturday evening’s earthquake was the world’s largest in two years.
World’s largest earthquake hits Caribbean islands as tsunami warning issuedhttps://t.co/YGGqCrTU5o pic.twitter.com/lGLIWaEwzU
— MirrorUSNews (@MirrorUSNews) February 9, 2025
From The Mirror:
The tremor was felt 202 km southwest of George Town in the Cayman Islands. Following the quake, NOAA reported that potential tsunami threat warnings were issued by Colombia, Haiti, Belize, Saba, Aruba, Curacao, Costa Rica, the Bahamas, Cuba, the Cayman Islands, Panama, the Dominican Republic, the Turks and Caicos Islands, Honduras, Mexico, Bonaire, Guatemala, and Jamaica.
Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands also issued tsunami advisories. Back in December 2024, an estimated magnitude 5.9 earthquake shook several Caribbean countries, triggering an emergency assessment of disaster relief operations, reports the Express US.
If tsunami waves were to be generated from the massive quake they are forecasted to reach Puerto Rico’s western coast at around 8:48 p.m. EST (9:48 p.m. local time), The Weather Channel reported. This is about 30 minutes before the first waves would reach the U.S. Virgin Islands.
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