5.5 Magnitude Quake 45 km South of Maisí, Cuba; No Immediate Damage

A magnitude-5.5 earthquake struck off the southeastern tip of Cuba near Maisí early on Feb. 8, 2026, the U.S. Geological Survey recorded. The tremor occurred at 12:00:09 UTC, 07:00:09 local Havana time, and was logged by the USGS with event ID us6000s799 at coordinates roughly 19.8899, -74.371. USGS data placed the quake at a shallow depth of about 10 km.

Initial media feeds briefly reported a higher figure. The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre initially listed the event as magnitude 5.9 before later revisions brought the commonly cited value to 5.5. One outlet reported a 15 km depth in its account. Those differences reflect routine recalculations as seismic agencies refine early readings.

The epicenter was centered approximately 45–46 km south-southwest to southwest of Maisí in Guantánamo province, with alternative catalogues listing the location as 46 km southwest of Maisí or 46 km south-southwest. Nearby towns with reported light shaking included Baracoa and Guantánamo city. Earthquakelist estimated an intensity of about IV on the Modified Mercalli Scale in Maisí, indicating light shaking and likely no structural damage, while Volcanodiscovery’s aggregated reports at times listed a higher maximum intensity for parts of the region.

Shaking was reported across a broad area. Volcanodiscovery noted, “The earthquake was felt over a large region.. The shallow depth of the quake caused it to be felt more strongly near the epicenter than a deeper quake of similar magnitude would.” Local and regional reports said tremors reached Havana and several southern regions, and parts of The Bahamas felt the tremor, with Inagua explicitly cited as reporting shaking.

Emergency and seismic agencies did not issue tsunami warnings. Anadolu Ajansı stated, “no tsunami alert or immediate damage reported - Anadolu Ajansı.” Volcanodiscovery and other advisories described the tsunami risk as low for quakes under magnitude 6.5, though officials urged caution until aftershock patterns were clearer.

Seismological context places the quake near the complex boundary between the North American and Caribbean plates, where motion is accommodated by left-lateral strike-slip faults. As the Seaquake feed observed, “portion of the motion between the North America plate and the Caribbean plate in this region is accommodated by a series of left-lateral strike-slip faults that bisect the island of Hispaniola, notably the Septentrional Fault in the north and the Enriquillo-Plantain Garden Fault in the south. Activity adjacent to the Enriquillo-Plantain Garden Fault system is best documented by the devastating January 12, 2010 M7.0 Haiti strike-slip earthquake...”

For residents of Maisí, Baracoa, Guantánamo, Havana and nearby islands, the practical takeaways are straightforward: officials reported no immediate damage, but stay alert for official updates, watch for aftershocks, and inspect buildings for small cracks or dislodged objects. Seismic agencies and local civil protection will post any changes to magnitude, depth or tsunami advisories; monitor those channels for the latest. This event is a reminder of the region’s seismic setting and the need to keep basic preparedness measures current.