SANTIAGO, Chile — A 7.4 magnitude earthquake rattled the icy waters of the Drake Passage on May 2, 2025, sending a jolt of fear through southern Chile and Argentina. The tremor, centered 219 kilometers off the coast, sparked immediate tsunami warnings and coastal evacuations in Chile’s Magallanes region. By dawn on May 3, Chilean authorities had lifted the alert, with no reports of damage or injuries, though the scare left locals rattled.
The quake struck deep in the maritime corridor between South America’s southern tip and Antarctica, a restless zone where the Nazca, South American, and Antarctic tectonic plates grind against each other. At a shallow depth of 10 kilometers, the jolt was strong enough to prompt Chile’s National Service for Disaster Prevention and Response to sound the alarm. Coastal residents were ordered to flee to higher ground, expecting tsunami waves up to three meters high that could slam the shore within hours. Sirens wailed as families grabbed what they could and moved fast, guided by years of earthquake drills in one of the world’s most quake-prone nations.
Across the border, Argentina’s southernmost city, Ushuaia, felt the tremors but dodged major impacts. A localized evacuation order went out, though no widespread panic took hold. Video footage showed Chileans leaving low-lying areas in orderly lines, some clutching blankets, others glancing back at the sea. By late evening, the all-clear came: the tsunami threat had fizzled. Chile’s Hydrographic and Oceanographic Service confirmed no significant waves had formed, and the evacuation order was scrapped.
The U.S. Geological Survey pinned the epicenter in the Drake Passage, a notorious stretch of ocean known for its brutal storms and now, apparently, its seismic temper. No buildings crumbled, no roads split, and no lives were lost, a stroke of luck in a region scarred by past disasters. Chile’s disaster agency stayed on high alert for aftershocks but reported no immediate concerns.
For now, the coast is calm, the sirens silent. Residents have returned home, and the Drake Passage is back to its usual churn. The earthquake, a sharp reminder of the region’s volatile geology, caused no harm but left behind a story of quick action and collective relief.