A 6.1-magnitude earthquake struck off the northwest coast of Cuba this week.
The quake was centered about 55 miles northwest of Los Arroyos, on the western end of the island — putting it roughly 240 to 250 miles southwest of Key West, according to Megan Borowski, Senior Meteorologist for the Florida Public Radio Emergency Network.
"It wasn't the biggest earthquake on record, but it was a pretty moderate earthquake," Borowski said.
Borowski said the area sits along the boundary between the Caribbean and North American tectonic plates, which makes seismic activity possible — though not common.
"It's certainly not as active as other parts of the world," she said. "It's not something that's going to happen every day."
Florida has a recorded history of feeling earthquakes, even if residents rarely notice them. Borowski said she researched historical accounts after the quake and found reports dating back to the 1800s — and as far back as 1780 in a University of Florida study published in the 1980s.
"There is a history of folks in North Florida feeling it, parts of South Florida feeling it as well," she said.
Despite that history, Borowski said residents should not expect earthquakes to become a regular occurrence.
"In our lifetimes, it might happen again," she said. "But not very often."