On Friday Afternoon a Significant M5.5 Earthquake struck in the North Atlantic Ocean near Fort-de-France (Martinique).

Written by Earthquakelist.org on January 2nd, 2026. Last updated January 7th, 2026.

In the late afternoon of Friday January 2nd, 2026, a significant MAG-5.5 earthquake hit in the North Atlantic Ocean 78 kilometer from Fort-de-France, Martinique. Roughly 1 million people may have felt this earthquake. Other countries near the epicenter include Dominica, Saint Lucia, Guadeloupe, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Barbados, Montserrat and Antigua and Barbuda.

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Earthquake Summary

This earthquake hit under water in the North Atlantic Ocean, 58 kilometers (36 mi) off the coast of Martinique, 78 kilometer north-east of Fort-de-France. The center of this earthquake had a quite shallow depth of 56 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.

Date and Time:	Jan 2, 2026 17:48 (Martinique Time) - Jan 2, 2026 21:48 Universal Time.
Location:	78 km NE of Fort-de-France, Martinique, Martinique. Coordinates 15°5'2"N 60°32'48"W.
Map:	Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps.
Magnitude:	MAG 5.5 Detected by 571 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.025 .
Depth:	56 km (35 mi) A quite shallow depth.
Max. Intensity:	V Moderate 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 1 million people exposed to shaking

The USGS has published a report estimating the number of people exposed to this earthquake. Acoording to their analysis, roughly 1 million have been exposed to shaking at an MMI level of II or higher.

The highest earthquake impact level for this earthquake is IV, which corresponds with light shaking and likely no damage. Roughly 267,200 people are expected to be exposed to this level. Intensity level III was experienced by the majority of people (around 710 thousand). In their region, weak shaking and probably no damage can be expected.

People in 8 countries have been exposed to shaking. In Guadeloupe , around 380 thousand people, with impact levels up to IV (light shaking, likely no damage). In Martinique , around 350 thousand people. In Saint Lucia , around 180 thousand people. Other countries where people were exposed to shaking include Dominica, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Barbados and Montserrat.

Nearby towns and cities

This earthquake struck within proximity of multiple countries. Martinique , Dominica , Saint Lucia , Guadeloupe , Saint Vincent and the Grenadines , Barbados , Montserrat and Antigua and Barbuda are all within 300km distance of its epicenter.

The closest significant population center near the earthquake is Sainte-Marie in Martinique, Martinique. Sainte-Marie is located 58 kilometer (36 mi) north-east of the epicenter. Sainte-Marie experienced an earthquake intensity (MMI Scale) of roughly IV. That level implies light shaking and likely no damage.

A complete list of nearby places is included below. Estimated intensity data (MMI) sourced from a shake-map published by the US Geographic Survey is shown where available (cities without data probably experienced little impact).

Overview of nearby places

Earthquake Intensity Map

The intensity in shaking and damage by this earthquake is illustrated through the map below. The highest intensity measured for this earthquake is IV.

I Not felt

II Weak

III Weak

IV Light

V Moderate

VI Strong

VII Very Strong

VIII Severe

IX Violent

X Extreme

Shaking reported by 43 people in 4 countries

People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 43 people have reported shaking in 18 places in 4 countries (Martinique, Saint Lucia, Dominica, Saint Vincent and The Grenadines).We keep updating this article as more ground reports become available. You may report that you felt this earthquake here.

Places with most reports:

• Les Trois-Îlets, Le Marin, Martinique: 5 people.
• Saint-Joseph, Fort-de-France, Martinique: 4 people.
• Cap Estate, Gros Inlet, Saint Lucia: 4 people.
• Saint-Pierre, Saint-Pierre, Martinique: 3 people.
• Fort-de-France, Fort-de-France, Martinique: 3 people.
• Le Lamentin, Fort-de-France, Martinique: 3 people.
• Kingstown, Saint George, Saint Vincent and The Grenadines: 3 people.
• Le Robert, La Trinité, Martinique: 2 people.
• Gros Islet, Gros Inlet, Saint Lucia: 2 people.
• Schoelcher, Fort-de-France, Martinique: 2 people.

Aftershocks detected

Before this earthquake struck, 1 smaller foreshock occurred. Roughly 17 hrs before this earthquake, a foreshock measuring MAG-3.2 was detected nearby this earthquake.

Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks

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.

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 October 27th, 2025, when a 5.7 magnitude earthquake hit 193 km (120 mi) further north-east. An even stronger magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck on October 27th, 2025.

In total, 7 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.5 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

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

Sources

Last updated 07/01/26 21:18 (). This article is automatically generated based on available data. We keep checking multiple sources for additional information. This article gets updated as new details on this earthquake become available.

1. US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us7000rm6i
2. European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260102_0000304
3. Geonames.org: World Cities Database
4. Google Maps: Static API
5. Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database

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