Shallow M5.4 Earthquake hit in the Caribbean Sea 240km from George Town (Cayman Islands) on Monday Afternoon.

Written by Earthquakelist.org on February 24th, 2025. Last updated February 27th, 2025.

In the afternoon of Monday February 24th, 2025, a shallow and significant MAG-5.4 earthquake hit in the Caribbean Sea 240 kilometer from George Town, Cayman Islands. Shaking may have been felt by a total of 50 thousand people.

Earthquake Summary

This earthquake hit under water in the Caribbean Sea, 242 kilometers (150 mi) off the coast of Cayman Islands, 240 kilometer southwest of George Town. The center of this earthquake had a very shallow depth of 10 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.

Date and Time:	Feb 24, 2025 15:08 (Cayman Time) - Feb 24, 2025 20:08 Universal Time.
Location:	240 km SW of George Town, Cayman Islands. Coordinates 17°34'7"N 82°44'42"W.
Map:	Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps.
Magnitude:	MAG 5.4 Detected by 57 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.041 .
Depth:	10 km (6 mi) A very shallow depth.
Max. Intensity:	III Weak On the Modified Mercalli Scale.
Tsunami Risk:	Low tsunami risk Earthquakes under MAG-6.5 do not usually cause tsunami's. Always stay cautious - More info here.

Minimal impact predicted

Based on scientific estimates by the US Geographic Survey (USGS), the risk of high fatalities for this earthquake is classified at level GREEN (low). They expect an 65% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 fatalities, and a 96% chance that the number of fatalities falls no higher than 10.

The USGS classifies the economic impact of this earthquake at level GREEN (low). They expect an 65% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 million US Dollars in economic damage and impact, and a 96% chance that the economic impact of this earthquake falls no higher than 10 million USD.

Roughly 50 thousand people exposed to shaking

This earthquake may have been felt by around 50 thousand people. That is the expected population size of the area exposed to a level of shaking of II or higher on the Modified Mercalli scale according to the USGS.

Weak shaking and probably no damage may have been experienced by an estimated 49,910 people. At III, it is the highest MMI level this earthquake has caused.

People in 2 countries have been exposed to shaking. Roughly 50 thousand people were exposed to shaking in Cayman Islands , with level III (weak shaking, probably no damage) as the highest recorded. People were exposed to shaking in Honduras as well.

People	MMI Level	Shaking	Damage
0	I	Not noticable	None
3,730	II	Very weak	None
49,910	III	Weak	Probably none
0	IV	Light	Likely none
0	V	Moderate	Very light
0	VI	Strong	Light
0	VII	Very Strong	Moderate
0	VIII	Severe	Moderate to heavy
0	IX	Violent	Heavy
0	X	Extreme	Very heavy

Nearby towns and cities

This earthquake may have been felt in Cayman Islands . Located 240 kilometer (149 mi) southwest of the epicenter of this earthquake, George Town (George Town, Cayman Islands) is the nearest significant population center. George Town experienced an earthquake intensity (MMI Scale) of roughly III. That level implies weak shaking and probably no damage.

Overview of nearby places

Cities and Towns around the epicenter of this earthquake.
Distance	Place	Intensity (MMI)
240 km (149 mi) NE from epicenter	George Town George Town, Cayman Islands.	III Weak

Earthquake Intensity Map

The graph below overlays a map of the region around the epicenter with earthquake intensity data provided by the US Geographic Survey. The highest intensity level detected for this earthquake is III.

I Not felt

II Weak

III Weak

IV Light

V Moderate

VI Strong

VII Very Strong

VIII Severe

IX Violent

X Extreme

Earthquake Intensity Map based on Shakemap Data provided by USGS.

Shaking reported by 5 people

People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 5 people have reported shaking in 4 places, all within Cayman Islands.We keep updating this article as more ground reports become available. You may report that you felt this earthquake here.

Places with most reports:

George Town, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands: 2 people.
Bodden Town, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands: 1 person.
West Bay, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands: 1 person.
North Side, _no region, Cayman Islands: 1 person.

Aftershocks detected

In the days before this main shock, 1 smaller foreshock was detected. Roughly 20 hrs before this earthquake, a foreshock measuring MAG-4.9 was detected nearby this earthquake.

Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks

Detected MAG2.5+ earthquakes within within 100km (62 mi), that occurred in the three days before and after the main shock.
Classification	Magnitude	When	Where
Foreshock	M 4.9	20 hrs earlier Feb 23, 2025 19:30 (Cayman Time)	63 km (39 mi) NW from Main Shock.
Main Shock This Earthquake	M 5.4	Feb 24, 2025 15:08 (Cayman Time)	-

More earthquakes coming?

Earthquakes can create aftershocks. These are generally at least 1 magnitude lower than any main shock, and as time passes the chance and strength of aftershocks decreases.

In only six percent of cases, significant earthquakes are followed by a larger main shock, making the current earthquake a foreshock. While the chance of this happening is not so large, it is adviced to maintain cautiousness in the hours and days following a major earthquake.

Read: How to Stay Safe during an Earthquake (cdc.gov).

Earthquakes like this are common in the region

Earthquakes of this strength occur quite regularly in the region. This is the strongest earthquake to hit since February 8th, 2025, when a 7.6 magnitude earthquake hit 34 km (21 mi) further east-northeast. That was also the heaviest earthquake to hit the region in the past 10 years.

In total, 8 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.4 or higher have been registered within 300km (186 mi) of this epicenter in the past 10 years. This comes down to an average of once every year.

Low tsunami risk

DISCLAIMER: We strongly suggest to closely monitor advice from local authorities with regards to tsunami risks. Our analysis is based on automatically collected data from external sources, and these might contain mistakes. In addition, earthquakes can cause landslides that may lead to a tsunami, or be a followed by another, potentially stonger, earthquake.

Based on early data it appears this earthquake was not strong enough (lower than MAG-6.5) to be likely to cause destructive tsunami's. However this earthquake appeared to have hit at a shallow depth under sea, so stay cautious and monitor advice from local authorities.

Tsunami Risk Factors

Factor	Under Sea?	MAG-6.5 or stronger?	Shallow depth?
Explanation	Almost all tsunami's are caused by earthquakes with their epicenter under sea or very near the sea. However stay cautious in coastal areas as earthquakes on land may cause landslides into sea, potentially still causing a local tsunami.	Under MAG 6.5: Very unlikely to cause a tsunami. MAG 6.5 to 7.5: Destructive tsunami's do occur, but are uncommon. Likely to observe small sea level changes. MAG 7.6+: Earthquakes with these magnitudes might produce destructive tsunami's.	Most destructive tsunami's are caused by shallow earthquakes with a depth between 0 and 100km under the surface of the earth. Deeper tsunami's are unlikely to displace to ocean floor.
This Earthquake	This earthquake appears to have struck under the sea.	Not this earthquake. This earthquake had a magnitude of 5.4. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami.	This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 10 km (6 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami.

Sources

Last updated 27/02/25 19:18 (). This article contains currently available information about the earthquake and is automatically composed. We continue to update this article up to a few days after the earthquake occurred.