Powerful 7.6 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Near Cayman Islands – Tsunami Warning in Effect

Magnitude 7.6 Earthquake Strikes Near Cayman Islands – Tsunami Warning Issued for Three Locations

Experts are rushing to determine the exact scope of the hazard after a strong earthquake beneath the sea rocked the Caribbean late Saturday. Some coasts prepare for impact as the waves start to roll in.

Late Saturday, a powerful 7.6-magnitude earthquake occurred north of Honduras, prompting tsunami warnings for a number of coastal areas. The earthquake struck at 23:23 UTC on February 8, 2025, with a depth of 33 kilometers (20 miles) with an epicenter at 17.8°N, 82.5°W.

An alert was issued for specific coastal locations when tsunami waves were spotted after the earthquake. Along Cuba’s coast, dangerous waves ranging from 1 to 3 meters above tide level are predicted by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC). Parts of Honduras and the Cayman Islands may be affected by smaller waves, which range in size from 0.3 to 1 meter.

Sea-level gauges are being constantly watched by authorities in order to determine the entire magnitude of the tsunami risk. The PTWC stressed that local geology and undersea terrain may cause real wave heights to vary. Impacts on barrier reefs and atolls can be far less severe than anticipated.

Estimated Arrival Times for Tsunamis

On February 9, the first tsunami waves are predicted to arrive in the impacted areas in a matter of hours. Among the anticipated arrival timings (UTC) are:

Santa Cruz del Sur, Cuba – 03:00 Nueva Gerona, Cuba – 03:50 UTC Puerto Cortes, Honduras – 00:22 Trujillo, Honduras – 01:08
A tsunami is a sequence of waves rather than a single wave. With intervals varying from five minutes to an hour, some waves might be bigger than the first one. The danger can last for a few hours or more.

No tsunami warning has been issued for the United States, according to officials. As a precaution, however, coastal monitoring will continue. Residents along the shore are being advised by the governments in the impacted areas to remain vigilant and heed local authorities’ recommendations. Depending on how severe the waves are, evacuations might be required in some locations.

In an acknowledgement on social media, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) wrote, “Notable quake, preliminary info: M 7.6 – 209 km SSW of George Town, Cayman Islands.”

The U.S. National Tsunami Warning Center released important updates hours after the strong earthquake shook the Caribbean, allaying fears in certain areas and urging caution in others. The agency announced in a series of social media posts that the United States and its international partners were no longer at risk of a tsunami.

According to one update, “The tsunami threat has passed based on the most recent modeling and intelligence. Neither the United States nor its international partners have any alerts posted. “Unusual currents may be noticed in some areas,” the agency concluded. Be cautious as usual.

Alerts were still in effect for several areas in spite of this. Ongoing surveillance for the Cayman Islands, Honduras, and Cuba was noted in another bulletin. A tiny tsunami wave, measuring 3 cm (1.2 inches), was observed close to Isla Mujeres, Mexico, at 01:03 UTC, according to officials. Even though it was small, the reading verified that there had been tsunami activity.

Residents of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands were relieved by a third update, which said that the tsunami advisory for these areas had been lifted. Officials cautioned that strong and unexpected currents might continue, meanwhile, and asked people to exercise caution when approaching the sea.

The Bahamas Department of Meteorology released a special weather statement warning coastal areas about the possible effects of tsunami warnings that were spreading around the Caribbean.

On February 8, 2025, at 7:45 PM EST, the advisory stated that the 7.6-magnitude earthquake occurred around 130 miles southwest of George Town, Cayman Islands. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) responded by issuing warnings for a number of countries in the Caribbean, Central America, and South America.

Authorities cautioned that areas of the Southeast Bahamas, such as Ragged Island, Crooked Island, Acklins, Mayaguana, and Inagua, may be impacted by rising sea levels. The Turks and Caicos Islands were also included in the notice.

Between 7:30 PM and 9:30 PM EST, residents near the eastern and southern shorelines in these locations were asked to be on the lookout for any unexpected changes in the coastal conditions.

Authorities are still keeping an eye on the situation and encourage locals to follow official weather reports.