On Monday Afternoon an Unusually powerful M6.1 Earthquake struck in the Gulf Of Mexico 149km from Pinar del Río (Cuba).

Written by Earthquakelist.org on June 8th, 2026. Last updated August 7th, 2026.

An unusually powerful M6.1 earthquake struck in the Gulf Of Mexico 149 kilometer from Pinar del Río, Cuba in the afternoon of Monday June 8th, 2026. Shaking may have been felt by a total of 1.6 million people. Another country near the epicenter is Mexico.

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Earthquake Summary

This earthquake hit under water in the Gulf Of Mexico, 92 kilometers (57 mi) off the coast of Cuba, 149 kilometer west of Pinar del Río. The center of this earthquake had a quite shallow depth of 26 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.

Date and Time:	Jun 8, 2026 14:00 (Havana Time) - Jun 8, 2026 18:00 Universal Time.
Location:	149 km west of Pinar del Río, Cuba. Coordinates 22°47'28"N 85°5'31"W.
Map:	Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps.
Magnitude:	MAG 6.1 Detected by 79 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.03 .
Depth:	26 km (16 mi) A quite 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

The US Geographic Survey (USGS) describes the impact of this earthquake as follows:

Minor damage to buildings in Centro Historico de Merida and cracks developed in a road near Cancun.

Based on scientific estimates by the 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 1.6 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 1.6 million have been exposed to shaking at an MMI level of II or higher.

The highest earthquake impact level for this earthquake is V, which corresponds with moderate shaking and very light damage. Roughly 2,380 people are expected to be exposed to this level. The majority of people (roughly 1.1 million) live in an area exposed to level IV, where light shaking and likely no damage is expected.

People in 2 countries have been exposed to shaking. In Cuba , around 610 thousand people, with impact levels up to V (moderate shaking, very light damage). Roughly 1 million people were exposed to shaking in Mexico .

Nearby towns and cities

3 countries can be found within 300km of the epicenter of this earthquake: Cuba and Mexico . Futher away, this earthquake may also have been felt in The United States.

Minas de Matahambre in Pinar del Río, Cuba is the nearest significant place from the epicenter. The earthquake occurred 120 kilometer (75 mi) west of Minas de Matahambre. Minas de Matahambre experienced an earthquake intensity (MMI Scale) of roughly IV. That level implies light shaking and likely no damage.

Multiple major population centers exist within 300km of the earthquake that struck today. Havana is located 280 km to the east (intensity unknown, possibly low). Cancún is located 255 km to the southwest and experienced an intensity of III (weak shaking, probably no damage). Pinar del Río is located 149 km to the east and experienced an intensity of IV (light shaking, likely no damage).

The table below provides an overview of all places in proximity of today's earthquake. Where available, the estimated intensity on the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale in each place is included. Places where this information is omitted likely 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 V.

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 95 people in 4 countries

People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 95 people have reported shaking in 17 places in 4 countries (Cuba, Mexico, Cayman Islands, Belize).We keep updating this article as more ground reports become available. You may report that you felt this earthquake here.

Places with most reports:

• Cancún, Quintana Roo, Mexico: 35 people.
• Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, Mexico: 15 people.
• Bonfil, Quintana Roo, Mexico: 13 people.
• Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico: 10 people.
• Isla Mujeres, Quintana Roo, Mexico: 4 people.
• Tulum, Quintana Roo, Mexico: 3 people.
• Cozumel, Quintana Roo, Mexico: 3 people.
• Mantua, Pinar del Río, Cuba: 2 people.
• Havanna, Ciudad de la Habana, Cuba: 2 people.
• West Bay, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands: 1 person.

3 Aftershocks detected

This main shock was followed by 3 smaller aftershocks. Just 1 day after this main shock, an earthquake measuring MAG-4.4 was detected 12 km (8 mi) west of 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.

The chance that a significant earthquake like this one is followed by an even larger earthquake is not so large. On average, scientists estimate a 94% chance that a major earthquake will not be followed by an even larger one. It is still adviced to be aware of this risk

This is an unusually powerful earthquake

No earthquake of this strength has struck this region for a long time. Our data goes back 10 years, and no earthquakes measuring a magnitude of 6.1 or higher have been detected within 300 km (186 mi) of this epicenter.

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 07/08/26 06:08 (). 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 us7000srjx
2. European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260608_0000390
3. Geonames.org: World Cities Database
4. Google Maps: Static API
5. Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database

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