Hundreds of Floridians took to social media to describe the unusual shaking they felt Monday afternoon as a significant earthquake struck off the coast of Cuba.
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A 6.1 magnitude earthquake confirmed by the U.S. Geological Survey occurred just after 2 p.m. Monday, approximately 65 miles west of Mantua, Cuba. The tremors were felt across much of Florida, prompting an outpouring of firsthand accounts from residents who experienced the rare seismic event.
Residents share their experiences
Social media quickly filled with accounts from residents across South Florida describing their experiences during the earthquake.
Carol Carsten in Port Saint Lucie recalls the event, saying "I was lying on a chaise lounge in my lanai and felt just the slightest of shaking."
"5th floor and could actually feel the floor swaying," a WPTV viewer in Fort Pierce commented.
While Florida is not typically associated with earthquakes, seismic activity in Cuba and the Caribbean region can occasionally be felt across South Florida due to the area's proximity to active fault zones.
The widespread nature of the reports, from the Tampa Bay area down to Miami-Dade County, demonstrates the significant reach of this seismic event.
Lynn Wollman in Boynton Beach said, "Our whole building was swaying for a good 5-7 seconds."
Erica Smith Chepurko in North Palm Beach said, "Yes! 4th floor of my office building. My TV and computer monitor shook."
While Florida is not typically associated with earthquakes, seismic activity in Cuba and the Caribbean region can occasionally be felt across South Florida due to the area's proximity to active fault zones.
The widespread nature of the reports, from the Tampa Bay area down to Miami-Dade County, demonstrates the significant reach of this seismic event.
Further north, near Tampa, commenters described similar reactions — one saying their room was shaking and they thought they were "going crazy," while another said they thought they were "going crazy feeling our patio furniture shake while watching the kids swim."
The National Weather Service in Miami confirmed that reports of shaking came from across southwestern Florida, though no significant damage has been reported. The National Tsunami Warning Center assured residents there is "no tsunami danger for the U.S. east coast, the Gulf of America states, or the eastern coast of Canada."
Several buildings were evacuated as a precaution, including the Miami-Dade Government Center and Miami Beach City Hall.
The earthquake occurred at a relatively shallow depth of about 10 miles below the surface, which helped transmit the shaking across the water to Florida's coast.
Authorities continue to monitor the situation. No aftershocks have been reported and no damage has been documented in Florida.
