7.6 Magnitude Earthquake Shakes Caribbean, Some Islands Urge Residents To Leave Coastlines

A magnitude-7.6 earthquake shook the Caribbean Sea southwest of the Cayman Islands Saturday, according to the US Geological Survey, and some islands and countries urged people near the coastline to move inland in case of a tsunami.

The quake struck at 6:23 pm local time in the middle of the sea and had a depth of 10 kilometers, the USGS said. Its epicenter was located 130 miles (209 kilometers) south-southwest of George Town in the Cayman Islands.

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The US National Tsunami Warning Center said there is no tsunami alert for the U.S. mainland but issued a tsunami advisory for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Hazard Management Cayman Islands urged residents located near the coast to move inland and to higher ground. It said wave heights of 0.3 to 1 meter are expected.

Puerto Rico Gov. Jenniffer González Colón said in a statement she is in contact with emergency agencies after the tsunami advisory, but did not recommend anyone leave the coast.

The Dominican government also issued a tsunami alert and recommended residents on the coast move to high areas “of more than 20 meters of altitude and 2 kilometers inland.”

It also urged ships to steer away or avoid entering the sea for the next few hours. The Cuban government requested people to leave beachfront areas.

Honduran authorities said are no immediate reports of damages, but urged its residents to stay away from beaches in the next few hours, local media said.

Later, the US government's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said “tsunami waves reaching 1 to 3 meters above the tide level are possible along some coasts of Cuba.”

It added waves between 0.3 and 1 meter above the tide level are possible for some coasts of Honduras and Cayman Islands.

“Actual amplitudes at the coast may vary from forecast amplitudes due to uncertainties in the forecast and local features,” the NOAA said in a report.