A strong magnitude-7.6 earthquake occurred in the Caribbean Sea southwest of the Cayman Islands on Saturday February 8, 2025 which led several nations to issue tsunami warnings. The U.S. Geological Survey documented the earthquake happened during 6:23 pm local time near George Town, Cayman Islands, 130 miles south-southwest at a depth of 10 kilometers.
A tsunami warning system of the U.S. National Tsunami Warning Center issued emergency alerts to both Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands but excluded the U.S. mainland from this warning. The coastal inhabitants received instructions from Hazard Management Cayman Islands to evacuate towards inland areas while authorities warned about maritime waves ranging from 0.3 to 1 meter in height. Emergency agencies in Puerto Rico assessed the situation under the leadership of Governor Jenniffer González Colón while she declined to enforce evacuations.
The authorities in the Dominican Republic issued a tsunami warning which ordered coastal residents to leave areas below 20 meters of altitude and 2 kilometers from the shoreline. The Cuban authorities implemented mandatory beachfront evacuations while Honduras suffered no immediate damage although they advised residents to stay off the seashore. 
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicted tsunami waves to potentially reach between 1 to 3 meters in Cuban waters together with 0.3 to 1 meter waves in Honduran and Cayman Island areas. The wave height predictions from the agency remained unclear because of local ocean conditions.
Residents throughout the region must maintain alertness because authorities continue their high state of readiness.
