A strong earthquake of 7.7-magnitude shook the Cayman Islands, Jamaica, and Cuba on Tuesday, prompting a brief tsunami warning and office evacuations as far away as Florida.
The earthquake came three weeks after a 6.4-magnitude quake in Puerto Rico.
No immediate report of casualties has been disclosed yet.
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Shaking buildings
Shaking and tremors were felt in many buildings and homes across the Caribbean on Tuesday. Not only that, but buildings even shook in Florida, with some offices having to be evacuated for safety purposes.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) warnings were withdrawn a few hours after the quake. Initially, the PTWC had stated that "hazardous tsunami waves" could reach coastal locations as far as 300 km away (186 miles) from the epicenter.
The M7.7 #earthquake in the Cayman Trench between #Jamaica and #Cuba brought most of its fury into the open ocean. I'm not too familiar with the tsunami threat (if any) there though. Listen to local authorities. pic.twitter.com/iX7uz258xV
— Craig Ceecee (@CC_StormWatch) January 28, 2020
As this earthquake produced "sideways motions" according to seismologist Dr. Lucy Jones, the risk of a tsunami occurring were low.
The epicenter of the quake fell 125 km (77 miles) north-west of Jamaica, and was about 10 km deep (6.2 miles).
My parents best friends are on a two week Carribean cruise. You know. Exactly where the earthquakes and tsunamis are. 😐 pic.twitter.com/rvkOTTHVoe
— Lainey Boggs (@_LaineyBoggs_) January 29, 2020
Tweets and videos from the Caribbean, as well as Florida showing shaking buildings and offices, are streaming online. Ryan Gold, a USGS geologist, told the Miami Herald that it was "completely reasonable" that an earthquake of that magnitude could be felt in Florida as "It's a very large earthquake which can produce a lot of seismic energy."
Shaking from the 7.7 magnitude Caribbean Earthquake felt in high-rises as far north as Aventura, FL, just north of Miami.
— Brandon Orr (@BrandonOrrWPLG) January 28, 2020
📹: Michael L. pic.twitter.com/Ln41irg33l
Luckily, it appears that no significant damage has happened to any of the nations, with "only a few reports of structural damage to buildings" happening according to the Cayman Islands authorities.
Some evacuations have happened and shelters have temporarily been put up as precautions.
Here are some of the Tweets about the quake:
Tsunami warnings have been issued for parts of the Carribean after a 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck between Jamaica, the Cayman Islands and Cuba.
— BFM News (@NewsBFM) January 29, 2020
Tremors have been reported in the Cuban capital of Havana and in Kingston, Jamaica but there were no immediate reports of casualties pic.twitter.com/hyBqVoSDum
People have been sharing the location, magnitude, and information about the quake:
Major earthquake rocks the carribean.
— Aurora Intel (@AuroraIntel) January 28, 2020
Location: 125km NNW of Lucea, Jamaica
M7.7 Tsunami warning issued for the area with waves as high as 1-3 feet. #Jamaica
[Knish] pic.twitter.com/PiqRpzz7l2
Suggestions of moving to higher ground are being shared openly:
Source for Tsunami information on the Carribean M 7.7 #Earthquake.
— Brian Terbush (@theterbush) January 28, 2020
If you're in a "yellow" potential danger zone, get to high ground, THEN look for more information.
Not worth the risk. https://t.co/pcSae1kW4Q
Dangerous and deep sinkholes have happened in the Cayman Islands:
Done talking to my family especially to my mom at Grand Cayman Island. They are all safe but they sent this sink holes video as the effect of the earthquake (recorded as one of the strongest in the Carribean) this afternoon. https://t.co/0OB67LKk00 pic.twitter.com/A66b7HWet4
— DINAH 🖇 (@dnhslvnlcr) January 29, 2020
Miami felt the tremors too:
TREMORS felt in DOWNTOWN MIAMI after earthquake in Cuba/Carribean. @FIU experts are available now. Contact me for interview requests. pic.twitter.com/znj8MC3zeQ
— Morgan Hughes (@HughesMorgan_) January 28, 2020