Local News
Mid-Atlantic M6.8 quake on 13 October posed no tsunami threat to St. Martin
A magnitude 6.8 earthquake on the central Mid-Atlantic Ridge on 13 October, about 5,200 km from St. Martin, caused no tsunami threat to the island. No warning was issued and no action is needed.
By SXM Daily ·
A magnitude 6.8 earthquake in the mid-Atlantic, about 5,000 kilometres from St. Martin, caused no tsunami threat here. It struck on Tuesday, 13 October 2026, at 8:23 AM AST, and no warning, watch or advisory was issued for the island.
Photo: Richie Diesterheft / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) places the quake on the central Mid-Atlantic Ridge, just south of the equator at 0.41°S, 19.43°W, at a depth of 10 km. That is in open ocean between South America and West Africa, far from the Caribbean.
No tsunami threat
The U.S. National Tsunami Warning Center said in a Tsunami Information Statement issued at 8:36 AM AST that, given the quake's location near the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a damaging tsunami was not expected.
Sint Maarten's Office of Disaster Management (ODM) said the same day that the quake posed no tsunami threat to Sint Maarten or other Caribbean coasts, citing a statement from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. ODM said no protective action was needed.
USGS gave the event a green alert, its lowest level, meaning little impact is expected.
What it means for residents
There is nothing to do. The alert period has passed, and no damage or sea-level change was reported for St. Martin.
ODM used the event as a reminder of basic earthquake and tsunami safety:
- During shaking, drop, cover and hold on.
- Strong or long shaking, a sudden rise or fall in the sea, or a loud roar from the ocean can be natural signs of a tsunami. If you notice any of them near the coast, move inland or to higher ground straight away, without waiting for an official warning.
- Rely on official channels: the Government of Sint Maarten, the Meteorological Department of St. Maarten (MDS) and ODM.
What happens next
No further updates are expected for this event. ODM encourages households, businesses and schools to review their emergency plans regularly.
Sources
- https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/us6000u214
- https://www.tsunami.gov/events/PAAQ/2026/10/13/tmuiel/1/WEXX32/WEXX32.txt
- https://www.sintmaartengov.org/news/Pages/press-release.aspx?slug=odm-no-tsunami-threat-to-sint-maarten-following-6-8-magnitude-earthquake-in-central-atlantic-ocean
Source: https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/us6000u214