Jamaica, Cuba and the Cayman islands were all said to be at risk.
The US Geological Survey said the 7.7-magnitude quake hit off the northwest coast of Jamaica, prompting the US Tsunami Warning Center to issue an alert.
It was so big that schools in Jamaica and buildings in Miami - 580 miles away - were evacuated.
The centre of the quake was a relatively shallow six miles beneath the surface of the ocean, prompting fears of damage. The centre of the quake was a relatively shallow six miles beneath the surface of the ocean, prompting fears of damage. Shallower earthquakes tend to be more destructive.
It struck 86 miles northwest of Montego Bay in Jamaica, and shaking was reported across nearby islands, according to Accuweather.
Tsunami waves as high as a metre are possible along some coasts of Belize, Cuba, Honduras, Mexico, Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, according to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.
O'Raine Thomas, from Jamaica, said: "I'm home napping and suddenly felt the house shaking for at least a minute. It felt so unreal that I actually thought I was dreaming.
"I took up my phone later and realised on social media that it was actually an earthquake."
Iana Olivia, who was Miss Universe Jamaica 2019, told The Independent: "This is the most serious earthquake I've ever felt, and that goes for many people here."
Phone lines were congested, she added.
A journalist covering a trial in Guantanamo Bay tweeted: "The earth is literally shaking here in the Camp Justice press room. Tremors rocking the floor and desk."
The quake could be felt strongly in Santiago, the largest far-eastern Cuban city, according to Belkis Guerrero, who works there.
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