Earthquakes rattle Philippines, Cuba. Are more big quakes coming?

On Jun 11, 2026

June 10, 2026Updated June 11, 2026, 10:28 a.m. ET

(This story was updated because an earlier version included an inaccuracy.)

Two strong, back-to-back earthquakes struck around the world on June 8, reigniting worries that more serious temblors could be on the way.

A quake with a magnitude of 7.8 struck the Philippines just before 7:40 a.m. local time on June 8, killing about three dozen people and injuring many more. It triggered tsunami warnings across multiple countries, collapsed buildings and toppled power lines.

A rare earthquake also struck off the western coast of Cuba with a magnitude of 6.1 in the afternoon. It was felt as far away as parts of Florida, reported the USA TODAY Network, Florida. Authorities in Cuba haven’t reported major damage or casualties from the quake. An earthquake that strong hadn’t been felt in the area since a 6.0 in 1880, according to the U.S. Geological Survey’s Paul Earle.

But experts say such oddball earthquakes are a reminder that seismologists don’t yet have a way to predict with any precision when they may strike, or exactly where.

“There is no sign of a link between these earthquakes in Cuba and the Philippines, and no reason to expect unusual events as a consequence of them,” said Brandon Schmandt, professor at Rice University and seismology expert.

But experts do study what areas are at a long-term risk for a strong quake.

“No one can predict earthquakes. However, by investigating faults and past quakes, scientists can better assess the likelihood of future earthquakes and how intense their shaking might be,” according to the USGS.

Should we be worried about 2 earthquakes on the same day?

Schmandt told USA TODAY that two or three earthquakes with a magnitude of 6.0 or greater happen each week, so on any day that an even bigger quake happens, it’s not unlikely that a quake of 6.0 or greater may have also happened somewhere else. Quakes as strong as the one that hit the Philippines typically only happen a few times each year around the world, he said.

But a quake of at least 7.0 happens about once per month worldwide, CalTech seismologist Lucy Jones previously told USA TODAY. They are randomly distributed, so several months may pass without one and then multiple may happen closer together, by pure random chance, she said.

While one earthquake can trigger another, called an aftershock, Schmandt said there doesn’t appear to be any such relationship between the Cuba and Philippines quakes. And the timing of the two earthquakes on June 8 isn’t too strange, Schmandt said.

Jones said there is about a 5% chance after any earthquake that another one will follow nearby within a few days that is bigger in magnitude. Though a 5% chance might not seem like much, it’s much greater than the baseline chances, she said. For example, in 2019 near Ridgecrest, California, a 6.4-magnitude quake hit on the Fourth of July. One day later, a 7.1 quake became the largest to strike Southern California in 20 years.

In December 2025, two major quakes with magnitudes of over 7.0 struck within days of each other, in Alaska and Japan.

Here’s what earthquake magnitudes mean

According to Michigan Technological University, earthquake magnitudes can have the following effects:

Below 2.5: Generally not felt
2.5 to 5.4: Minor or no damage
5.5 to 6.0: Slight damage to buildings
6.1 to 6.9: Serious damage
7.0 to 7.9: Major earthquake. Serious damage
8.0 or greater: Massive damage, can destroy communities

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