On Saturday night (February 8), a strong 7.6 magnitude earthquake struck the Caribbean region, located approximately 130 miles southwest of the Cayman Islands, north of Honduras. The earthquake triggered tsunami warnings on several nearby Caribbean islands.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) stated that the earthquake occurred at 6:23 p.m. Eastern Time, roughly between the Cayman Islands and northern Honduras, prompting authorities to issue tsunami warnings, cautioning Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands about potential impacts.
A report from the German Research Centre for Geosciences indicated that the earthquake had a depth of 10 kilometers (6.21 miles) and initially classified the earthquake as 6.89 magnitude.
USGS reported the earthquake magnitude as 7.6 with a depth of 10 kilometers. The epicenter was located approximately 130 miles (209 kilometers) southwest-south of George Town in the Cayman Islands.
It is currently unclear if there has been any damage on land.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), this is the largest earthquake to have occurred in the region since the 7.2 magnitude earthquake hit Haiti in 2021.
Following the earthquake, tsunami warnings were issued for the Caribbean Sea and the northern region of Honduras; it is expected that there will be no tsunamis along the coast of the United States Atlantic or the Gulf of Mexico.
The U.S. Tsunami Warning System also issued warnings to Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands following the earthquake.
The Cayman Islands government also issued a tsunami threat alert, advising residents living near the coastline to move inland.
Local media reported that Honduran authorities stated there have been no reports of casualties so far, but they urged local residents to stay away from the beaches in the coming hours.
After the tsunami warnings were issued, residents in the vicinity should stay away from the water and coastal areas. Generally, areas under tsunami warnings may experience tsunamis of 1 to 3 feet in height.
The International Tsunami Information Center stated that “within the next three hours, this earthquake may trigger dangerous tsunamis in some coastal areas,” including the Cayman Islands, Jamaica, Cuba, Mexico, Honduras, Bahamas, Haiti, Turks and Caicos Islands, San Andres Providence, Belize, Dominican Republic, Colombia, Panama, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, U.S. Virgin Islands, British Virgin Islands, and Saba.
If a tsunami were to occur, the first tsunami is expected to reach the west coast of Puerto Rico around 8:48 p.m. Eastern Time (local time 9:48 p.m.) at the earliest. This is about 30 minutes earlier than the predicted arrival time for the first wave to reach the Virgin Islands.
The National Tsunami Warning Center of the United States stated that the Cuban coast may experience tsunamis ranging from 3 to 10 feet in height.