On 10 October morning, a powerful 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Davao Oriental, Mindanao triggering tsunami warnings across the Philippines, Indonesia, and Palau. Coastal residents were urged to evacuate to higher ground as waves exceeding one metre were anticipated. Though the alert was later lifted, the quake caused panic, structural damage, power outages, and school closures. It is the latest in a string of natural disasters for the Philippines, which is still reeling from a deadly Cebu earthquake that killed over 70 people and back-to-back storms, including Typhoon Ragasa and Typhoon Matmo.