6.4 Magnitude Earthquake Reported

A 6.4-magnitude earthquake was reported in the Philippines on Tuesday (January 7), according to the United States Geological Survey.

The earthquake was recorded at 11:02 a.m. local time and centered at 16 kilometers (about 10 miles) east-southeast of Baculin, Davao, at a depth of 35.0 kilometers (about 22 miles). The USGS said it received 24 reports of people having felt the earthquake at the time of publication on Friday.

There is currently no tsunami threat in effect, according to the Guam Homeland Security Office of Civil Defense. The 6.4-magnitude earthquake was the largest recorded in Davao in the month and was the second within the past 24 hours; the fifth in the past seven days; the 15th in the past 30 days; and the 153rd in the past 365 days, according to EarthquakeTrack.com.

The Philippines are reported to have had two earthquakes measuring 1.5-magnitude or greater in the past 24 hours; five in the past seven days; 29 in the last 30 days; and 374 in past 365 days, according to EarthquakeTrack.com. Earthquakes measured between 2.5 and 5.4 magnitude can be felt by a large population, however, rarely results in much damage, according to Michigan Tech via the Sacramento Bee.

An estimated 500,000 detectable earthquakes are reported worldwide annually, however, around 100,000 are felt and only 100 typically result in serious damage. Officials strongly advise that anyone caught in an earthquake should drop, cover and hold on, according to the Sacramento Bee.