A 7.6 magnitude earthquake struck the western Caribbean on Saturday night, prompting a tsunami advisory for the Cayman Islands. The alert was issued after Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands were cleared of any threat. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the earthquake occurred at 6:30 PM local time at a depth of about 6 miles, approximately 130 miles south-southwest of George Town, Cayman Islands.
“The Cayman Islands is under a tsunami threat. Residents living near the coastline are encouraged to move inland,” stated the Cayman Islands Hazard Management Agency. They urged coastal residents to seek higher ground and warned that tsunami activity could occur within an hour of the advisory.
The Cayman Islands Hazard Management Agency also described the tsunami activity as deceptively powerful; while waves could measure only 1.5 feet, the moving water could spread out over a width of 50 to 60 miles. Meanwhile, the U.S. Tsunami Warning System indicated that Cuba faced a similar threat, with potential tsunami waves estimated between 3 and 10 feet high in certain areas.
Tsunami warnings for Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands have since been cancelled. A now-cancelled National Weather Service tsunami advisory had previously urged residents of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands to take precautionary measures, as there was an expectation of dangerous waves or currents. Puerto Rico Governor Jenniffer González Colón advised residents to “get out of the water immediately, especially on the west and south coasts of the island” as a precautionary measure.
