Earthquake Now: Breaking Live Updates, Affected Areas, Damage Reports & Safety Tips

Residents across three continents are asking “Is there an earthquake now?” after a flurry of tremors jolted Texas, the Philippines and the Horn of Africa within the past 24 hours. Below is a real-time roundup of the strongest quakes recorded today, plus safety advice and what scientists say about aftershock risk. Texas: rare 4.4 quake wakes the Permian Basin At 06:09 UTC (01:09 a.m. local time), a magnitude-4.4 earthquake struck 20 km northwest of Big Spring, rattling oil-field infrastructure and startling night-shift workers. While no damage has been reported, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) warns that shallow regional faults can trigger felt aftershocks for several days. Texans who feel shaking are urged to drop, cover and hold on, then report it to the USGS “Did You Feel It?” portal to help refine intensity maps. Mindanao, Philippines: twin shocks, tsunami watch lifted Just 24 hours earlier, southern Mindanao endured back-to-back earthquakes—magnitudes 7.2 and 6.8—off Davao Oriental. Initial tsunami alerts were canceled, but the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) advises coastal residents to avoid weak structures until engineers complete inspections. Seven fatalities have been confirmed, mainly from landslides; authorities are rushing portable water filters and tarpaulins to hard-hit towns. Ethiopia: 5.7 event shakes Afar Rift Farther west, a magnitude-5.7 quake rattled Ethiopia’s Afar Region at 03:39 UTC, according to the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ). The epicenter lies along a spreading zone where the African Plate is slowly tearing apart. Seismologists note that swarms here sometimes precede volcanic activity, so travelers to Erta Ale volcano should monitor official bulletins. Why so many earthquakes now? Experts emphasize the clustering is coincidental: the Texas quake happened on an intraplate fault linked to wastewater injection, the Mindanao shocks along the Philippine Trench, and the Ethiopia tremor within a continental rift. “These systems are not connected, but global networks detect them within seconds, so it feels like a surge,” explains Dr. Maya Alvarez of the Global Seismographic Network. Real-time resources • USGS Earthquake Map (live) • PHIVOLCS mobile app for Philippine alerts • GFZ’s SeisComP feed for East Africa Staying safe when an earthquake hits now 1. Enable emergency alerts and keep a flashlight by your bed. 2. Identify sturdy shelter points—inside corners or under heavy tables. 3. Pack a go-bag: water, N95 masks, power bank, copies of IDs. 4. After shaking stops, move cautiously; aftershocks can follow within minutes. 5. If you live in a coastal zone and feel strong or long shaking, evacuate uphill immediately. Bottom line Multiple regions are feeling the earth move today, but preparedness—not panic—is the best response. Bookmark this page for ongoing “earthquake now” updates as seismographs worldwide continue to register today’s tremors and any aftershocks still to come.