A powerful 7.6 magnitude earthquake struck the Caribbean Sea on Saturday night, shaking areas north of Honduras and southwest of the Cayman Islands. The earthquake briefly triggered tsunami warnings and advisories across the region, though these were later lifted.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) reported that the earthquake occurred at approximately 6:23 p.m. Eastern Time. The epicenter was located about 129 miles southwest of George Town, the capital of the Cayman Islands, and 372 miles west of Kingston, Jamaica.
The depth of the quake was significant enough to send tremors across multiple islands, leading to initial concerns of a potential tsunami.
Shortly after the earthquake, the U.S. National Tsunami Warning Center issued a tsunami advisory for Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the British Virgin Islands.
In addition, it identified a “tsunami threat” for Cuba, Honduras, and the Cayman Islands. Authorities in affected regions quickly urged residents to remain cautious and stay out of the water as a precaution.
However, by late Saturday night, officials reassessed the situation and canceled all tsunami alerts. The warning center announced that updated modeling and data showed that the tsunami threat had passed for the entire Caribbean region. No