Earthquake.now

M7.6 Earthquake near George Town, Cayman Islands — 08 February 2025

A major earthquake of magnitude 7.6 was recorded near George Town, Cayman Islands on , with an epicentre 209 km south-southwest of George Town, at a focal depth of 10.0 km. It was the strongest of the 2 earthquakes recorded in the Cayman Islands in the preceding 30 days.

7.6 Major

Time (UTC): 2025-02-08 23:23:14

Time (your timezone): —

Magnitude: 7.6 (major)

Focal depth: 10.0 km (shallow)

Epicentre: 17.7016, -82.4564

Location: 209 km SSW of George Town, Cayman Islands

Country: Cayman Islands

USGS link to NOAA tsunami information: Available

Review status: Reviewed

Source: USGS event page

How strong was this earthquake?

Major earthquakes cause serious damage across wide regions and are capable of destroying buildings that were not designed for seismic loading. Events at this size frequently trigger long aftershock sequences lasting months.

A magnitude 7.6 earthquake radiates roughly 3.8 million tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.

The USGS assigns this earthquake a significance score of 988, which meets the USGS threshold of more than 600 for its significant-earthquake list. The ranking combines magnitude with available Did You Feel It responses and PAGER alert level; it is not a direct measurement of damage.

What the magnitude scale actually measures →

When it happened locally

That is about 17:53 local solar time at the epicentre, during the afternoon.

This event was shallower than 100% of the 13 earthquakes recorded in the Cayman Islands in our catalogue and stronger than 100% of them.

Where was the epicentre?

The epicentre was located at 17.7016, -82.4564 — 209 km south-southwest of George Town. The closest other recorded event was a magnitude 4.3 earthquake 12 km west-southwest of here on 14 February 2026.

The nearest other settlements in our records are Bodden Town (192 km northeast), Barra Patuca (201 km west-southwest), Savannah Bight (201 km west) and East End (251 km northeast).

Why the 10 km depth matters

At 10 km this was a shallow earthquake. Shallow events release their energy close to the surface, so for a given magnitude they produce noticeably stronger shaking — and more damage — than deeper ones. Roughly three quarters of all earthquakes worldwide occur at shallow depths.

This catalogue does not ingest eyewitness responses, so it cannot confirm where this earthquake was felt. Based on magnitude alone, an event this size can produce strong, widely felt shaking. Its shallow focus makes stronger surface shaking more likely than for a deeper event of the same magnitude.

Read more on how focal depth changes what you feel →

What does the tsunami information flag mean?

The USGS event record links to NOAA tsunami information because this was a large event in an oceanic region. That link flag does not mean a tsunami occurred or that a warning is active. Check tsunami.gov and instructions from your local authority for the current status of your coastline.

How earthquakes generate tsunamis, and what the alert levels mean →

Aftershocks and local seismic history

9 further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the seven days after this event, the largest of them magnitude 4.8.

21 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 5.4 event near George Town on 24 February 2025. This M7.6 event released about 1,995 times more energy than that event.

No other earthquakes have been recorded within 100 km of this epicentre in the past year, which makes this a genuinely isolated event.

How long aftershock sequences last, and how large they get →

Where this event sits in the record

This earthquake is part of the February 2025 worldwide record, and of earthquakes in the Cayman Islands during February 2025. Browse the full monthly archive to compare periods.

Nearest recorded earthquakes to this epicentre

Other recent earthquakes in the Cayman Islands

All recorded earthquakes in the Cayman Islands →

Other magnitude 7 earthquakes worldwide

All magnitude 7 earthquakes →

Questions about this earthquake

How strong was the earthquake near George Town?

It measured magnitude 7.6 — a major earthquake. A magnitude 7.6 earthquake radiates roughly 3.8 million tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.

How deep was the earthquake near George Town?

The focus was 10 km below the surface, which counts as shallow.

Was the George Town earthquake felt at the surface?

At magnitude 7.6 and a focal depth of 10 km, shaking would have been concentrated near the epicentre.

When did the earthquake near George Town happen?

08 February 2025 at 23:23 UTC.

Was there a tsunami?

The USGS record carries a link to NOAA tsunami information for this event. That is not a warning: check your regional tsunami warning centre for any live alert.

Have there been aftershocks?

9 further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the seven days after this event, the largest of them magnitude 4.8.

How often do earthquakes happen near George Town?

21 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 5.4 event near George Town on 24 February 2025. This M7.6 event released about 1,995 times more energy than that event.