On Tuesday, Jan. 28, a 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck between the small islands of Cuba and Jamaica. The effects of the earthquake were felt as far away as North Miami, FL, about 330 miles north of the Cuban island. The Bahamas, Cayman Islands, Haiti and Honduras all felt some effects following the natural disaster.
The earthquake, which was only 87 miles south of the coast of Cuba and 86 miles north of Jamaica, struck with more force than the 2010 earthquake that devastated Haiti. It first struck six miles below the surface of open water and was followed by a series of smaller tremors. As of Wednesday, Jan. 29, no deaths have been reported. Damage did occur, however, leaving some of the small islands with cracked roads and knocked over trees. Minor damage occurred to some houses, buildings and cars as well.
Courtesy: Taneos Ramsay
In Miami, FL, buildings shook as people had to be temporarily evacuated for fears of a collapse. The effects of the earthquake caused evacuation warnings to those living in Miami. Tsunami warnings were also issued by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center for Belize, Cuba, Honduras, Mexico, the Cayman Islands and Jamaica, with waves of up to 3 feet. These warnings were later withdrawn as the threat was minimized. Fear and concern were still felt by those residing in Miami, especially those with family members in the Caribbean. Miami local, Machel Emanuel, told BBC, “I was on the second floor of a building and there was a sustained shaking of the building. I felt dizzy. The door was slamming consistently for a while.”
Courtesy: Joe Raedle
While the tsunami threat was withdrawn, there was still fear of possible tremors continuing to make an impact on Florida. With the Super Bowl being hosted in Miami on Sunday, February 2, officials were concerned for the safety of the teams as well as all the fans. No significant damage has been reported in Miami and experts ruled out any future threats. The 54th Super Bowl will continue as planned.
Meanwhile in the Caribbean, multiple earthquakes have been reported since late last December. Puerto Rico, a U.S. Territory in the Caribbean, has been hit especially hard with natural disasters. The small island has experienced over 300 earthquakes measuring at 3 magnitudes or above. There have also been 10 recorded earthquakes measured at over 5 magnitudes. These earthquakes come a little over 2 years after Hurricane Maria devastated the island.
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