5.5

M5.5 Earthquake 42 km SSW of Maisí, CubaFebruary 8, 2026

2026-02-08 12:00:09 UTC (2026-02-08) · approx. 7:00 AM UTC-5 local

Felt by 14 people across nearby locations. Maximum shaking intensity MMI 5.2 (strong).

MagnitudeM5.5(mww)
Time12:00 UTC7:00 AM UTC-5
Depth10.0 kmshallow crustal
Coordinates19.921°, -74.375°
Felt by14DYFI responses· max MMI 5.2
Status✓ Reviewed by USGS· green PAGER
green Alertno significant casualties or damage expected

On February 8, 2026 at 12:00 UTC, a magnitude 5.5 shallow crustal earthquake struck 42 km SSW of Maisí, Cuba, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates 19.9214°, -74.3748°. The earthquake was reported felt by 14 peopleacross nearby locations, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 5.2 (strong). The USGS PAGER system issued a green alert level for this event, indicating no significant casualties or damage expected. This earthquake was detected by 112 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 470, placing it among routine seismic activity. The nearest populated place is Imias (population 0).

Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.5 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 3 kilotons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 3.8 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.

Nearest Populated Places

Imiaspop. 0
MMI 4.4 (moderate)
La Maquinapop. 0
MMI 4.3 (moderate)
Maisipop. 28,276
MMI 4.2 (moderate)
San Antonio del Surpop. 0
MMI 4.2 (moderate)
Baracoapop. 48,362
MMI 3.9 (light)
Guantanamopop. 272,801
MMI 3.7 (light)
Map showing earthquake epicenter at 19.92°, -74.37°

ShakeMap — predicted shaking intensity

Modeled ground-motion intensity contoured on the Modified Mercalli scale (MMI). Computed by the USGS from the moment-tensor solution and regional ground-motion prediction equations.

USGS ShakeMap intensity contours for the M5.5 earthquake near 42 km SSW of Maisí, Cuba

Source: U.S. Geological Survey ShakeMap. View interactive ShakeMap on USGS

Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking

Aggregated felt-report intensity from 14 citizen responses to the USGS Did You Feel It? system. Each colored zone represents the average MMI from reports in that area.

USGS DYFI community-reported intensity map for the M5.5 earthquake near 42 km SSW of Maisí, Cuba

Source: U.S. Geological Survey Did You Feel It?. View on USGS · submit your own report

Population exposure (USGS PAGER)

Estimated population that experienced each level of shaking. Based on the USGS PAGER rapid impact assessment, which combines ShakeMap output with global population grids.

Shaking intensity (MMI)DescriptionPopulation exposed
MMI 3weak6,493,278
MMI 4light475,624
MMI 5moderate14,319

Earthquake Details

Magnitude
5.5 mww
Depth
10.0 km
shallow crustal
Location
19.9214°N
-74.3748°E
Felt Reports
14
DYFI responses
Intensity (MMI)
5.2
strong
Community Intensity
3.1
CDI from reports

Technical Information

Event ID
us6000s799
Event Type
earthquake
Status
✓ Reviewed
Significance
470
Stations Used
112
Azimuthal Gap
24.0°
Min Station Distance
0.692°
RMS Residual
0.60 sec
Last Updated
2026-05-01 14:35:45 UTC

Common Questions

How strong was the magnitude 5.5 earthquake near Maisí, Cuba?

The magnitude 5.5 earthquake that struck 42 km SSW of Maisí, Cuba on February 8, 2026 at 12:00 UTC had a depth of 10.0 km. It was felt by 14 people with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 5.2 (strong). For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.

Where did the earthquake occur?

The earthquake epicenter was located at 19.9214°, -74.3748°, which is 42 km SSW of Maisí, Cuba. The nearest populated place is Imias (population 0).

Were there aftershocks?

Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.5 earthquakes can continue for days to weeks and gradually diminish over time.

What should I do after an earthquake?

If you were in the affected area: check yourself and others for injuries, inspect your home for damage, and be prepared for aftershocks. For detailed guidance, see our earthquake safety guide and emergency planning resources.

Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000s799). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.

Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2026, February 8, 2026). M5.5 Earthquake 42 km SSW of Maisí, CubaFebruary 8, 2026. Retrieved May 13, 2026 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000s799/