Shallow M5.8 Earthquake hit in the Caribbean Sea near Guantánamo (Cuba) on Tuesday Night.

Written by Earthquakelist.org on March 17th, 2026. Last updated April 1st, 2026.

In the Caribbean Sea 95 kilometer from Guantánamo, Cuba, a shallow and significant Magnitude 5.8 earthquake occurred just after midnight of Tuesday March 17th, 2026. Around 9 million people have been exposed to shaking. Other countries near the epicenter include Haiti, Dominican Republic and Jamaica.

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Earthquake Summary

This earthquake hit under water in the Caribbean Sea, 25 kilometers (16 mi) off the coast of Cuba, 95 kilometer east of Guantánamo. The center of this earthquake had a very shallow depth of 12 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.

Date and Time:	Mar 17, 2026 00:28 (Havana Time) - Mar 17, 2026 04:28 Universal Time.
Location:	95 km east of Guantánamo, Cuba. Coordinates 19°50'24"N 74°21'31"W.
Map:	Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps.
Magnitude:	MAG 5.8 Detected by 66 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.038 .
Depth:	12 km (7 mi) A very shallow depth.
Max. Intensity:	VI Strong 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 90% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 fatalities.

The USGS classifies the economic impact of this earthquake at level GREEN (low). They expect an 94% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 million US Dollars in economic damage and impact.

Roughly 9 million people exposed to shaking

This earthquake may have been felt by around 9 million 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.

The highest earthquake impact level for this earthquake is V, which corresponds with moderate shaking and very light damage. Roughly 16,070 people are expected to be exposed to this level. The majority of people (roughly 8 million) live in an area exposed to level III, where weak shaking and probably no damage is expected.

People in 5 countries have been exposed to shaking. In Cuba , around 1.9 million people, with impact levels up to V (moderate shaking, very light damage). Roughly 6.7 million people were exposed to shaking in Haiti . In The Bahamas, shaking was experienced too.

Nearby towns and cities

5 countries can be found within 300km of the epicenter of this earthquake: Cuba , Haiti , Dominican Republic and Jamaica . Futher away, this earthquake may also have been felt in Turks and Caicos Islands.

Located 50 kilometer (31 mi) southwest of the epicenter of this earthquake, Maisí (Guantánamo, Cuba) is the nearest significant population center. The intensity of shaking and damage in Maisí is estimated to be around level IV on the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale (light shaking, likely no damage).

Multiple major population centers exist within 300km of the earthquake that struck today. Port-au-Prince is located 256 km to the south-east (intensity unknown, possibly low). Santiago de Cuba is located 155 km to the west and experienced an intensity of III (weak shaking, probably no damage). Santiago de los Caballeros is located 386 km to the east (intensity unknown, possibly low).

An overview of nearby towns and cities is available in the overview below. If places don't have intensity data available, it likely means the experienced impact in those places was fairly small.

Overview of nearby places

Earthquake Intensity Map

The maximum intensity (MMI Scale) caused by this earthquake is V. The map below shows in which areas this earthquake was the most and least impactful. It is based on data from the US Geographic Survey.

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 13 people in 4 countries

People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 13 people have reported shaking in 7 places in 4 countries (Cuba, Jamaica, Haiti, 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:

• Guantánamo, Guantánamo, Cuba: 7 people.
• Baracoa, Guantánamo, Cuba: 1 person.
• Montego Bay, Saint James, Jamaica: 1 person.
• Cap-Haïtien, Nord, Haiti: 1 person.
• Mandeville, Manchester, Jamaica: 1 person.
• Les Cayes, Sud, Haiti: 1 person.
• North Side, _no region, Cayman Islands: 1 person.

11 Aftershocks detected

Since this main shock, 11 smaller aftershocks were detected. Just 16 mins after this main shock, an earthquake measuring MAG-4.7 was detected 11 km (7 mi) south of this earthquake.

Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks

More earthquakes coming?

Aftershocks are usually at least 1 order of magnitude less strong than main shocks. The more time passes, the smaller the chance and likely strength of any potential aftershocks.

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 December 23rd, 2024, when a 5.9 magnitude earthquake hit 237 km (147 mi) further west. An even stronger magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck on August 14th, 2021.

In total, 7 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.8 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 01/04/26 01:08 (). As more information on this earthquake becomes available this article will be updated. This article is automatically composed based on data originating from multiple sources.

1. US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us6000sgrt
2. European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260317_0000056
3. Geonames.org: World Cities Database
4. Google Maps: Static API
5. Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database

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