7.6 Magnitude Earthquake Strikes in the Caribbean

RSS

January 10, 2018

Islands escape major damage after one of the most powerful tremors ever to hit the region.

7.6 magnitude earthquake happened last night at 9.51pm at a depth of 6.2 miles

The tremor was one of the largest to hit the Caribbean region in recorded history

Struck in the Caribbean Sea 25 miles from Honduras island of Great Swan Island

A tsunami advisory was put in place for Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands

There were fears it could impact the coasts of Central American nations, including Jamaica, Cuba and the Cayman Islands

But the warnings were later canceled and in the end no tsunami materialized

A massive 7.6 magnitude earthquake has struck the Caribbean Sea, prompting a tsunami warning for nearby islands including the US Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Jamaica.

The tremor, one of the largest to hit the Caribbean in recorded history, struck on Tuesday night at about 9.51pm just over 25 miles from the coast of Great Swan Island, belonging to Honduras.

The earthquake had a depth of 6.2 miles and rocked several Central American nations.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said a tsunami advisory was put in place for hurricane-hit Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands and warned of possible waves up to three feet above tide level.

There were also fears waves could potentially impact the coasts of Central American nations, including Jamaica, Cuba and the Cayman Islands. However, the warnings were later canceled and in the end, no tsunami materialized.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said a tsunami advisory had been put in place for Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands after the earthquake. The warnings were later canceled.

Warnings were issued after what was one of the strongest earthquakes to hit the Caribbean in modern times. The 2010 quake that devastated Haiti killing more than 200,000 people was magnitude 7.0.

The US National Weather Pacific Tsunami Warning Center warned 'hazardous tsunami waves are possible for coasts located within 1,000 kilometers of the earthquake epicenter'. It later said this threat had passed.

The quake rattled windows in the Honduran capital of Tegucigalpa, which is roughly 323 miles to the east, while officials said there were some reports of cracks in homes in Colon and Atlantida provinces along the northern coast and Olancho in the east.

Firefighters said some residents in southern neighborhoods fled their homes after feeling the shaking.

The northern coast of Honduras closest to the quake's epicenter is sparsely populated, with much of it covered by nature reserves.