Earlier tsunami threat to Puerto Rico and the US and British Virgin Islands is cancelled after powerful and shallow quake
An earthquake of magnitude 7.6 that struck in the Caribbean sea on Tuesday was felt across northern Central America, briefly prompting a tsunami warning for disaster-hit Puerto Rico and the British and US Virgin Islands.
The US Tsunami Center later cancelled the alert but warned some parts of Honduras and Belize were still at risk from waves of up to a metre.
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The quake – which hit at 10.52pm local time – rattled windows in the Honduran capital of Tegucigalpa roughly 323 miles (519km) to the east and was felt at least as far north as the Mexican state of Quintana Roo, but no damage was immediately reported.
Rodrigo Anaya Rodriguez was in a hammock inside his house near popular tourist site Bacalar Lake on Mexico’s Caribbean coast in Quintana Roo when he felt three tremors. “It felt like a bulldozer was driving past,” he said. “It didn’t last long but was very violent.” He ran to his balcony and saw electricity posts and cables swaying.
In Honduras, firefighters said some residents in southern neighborhoods fled their homes after feeling the tremors. “We have reports that it was felt in the majority of the country, but we don’t have reports of damage,” said Lizandro Rosales, director of Honduras’ contingencies commission.
The US Geological Survey said the quake, initially reported as a magnitude 7.8, was centered 125 miles (202km) north-east of Barra Patuca in Honduras and 191 miles (307km) south-west of George Town in the Cayman Islands.
The quake was very shallow, at only 6.2 miles (10km), which would have amplified its effect. It was lightly felt in Belize’s capital, Belize City, but did not prompt immediate reports of damage.
Belize’s minister in charge of emergency management, Edmond Castro, spoke on local radio to urge people living in low lying coastal areas and islands to stay alert for potentially dangerous waves.
Story highlights Tsunami waves possible for coasts of Belize, Cuba, Honduras, Mexico, the Cayman Islands and Jamaica
'If you notice that the (sea) disappears, you have to go to (a) high place,' official says
(CNN) The US Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said tsunami waves were possible for several countries in the Caribbean and Central America, as well as Mexico, after a magnitude-7.6 earthquake struck 27 miles (43 kilometers) off the coast of Honduras.
"Tsunami waves reaching 0.3 to 1 meters above the tide level are possible for some coasts of Belize, Cuba, Honduras, Mexico, the Cayman Islands and Jamaica," the agency said.
The earthquake struck 27 miles east of Great Swan Island, Honduras, at the relatively shallow depth of 10 kilometers, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said.
Juan Jose Reyes, Director of Early Warning Systems of the Honduran disaster prevention agency COPECO, urged people from low-lying coastal areas, especially the small offshore Islas de la Bahía islands to seek refuge, particularly if the tide suddenly is drawn out -- a telltale sign that a tsunami is imminent.
"If you notice that the (sea) disappears, you have to go to (a) high place," he said at a briefing with reporters in the capital Tegucigalpa.
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BREAKING: 7.6 magnitude earthquake shakes the Caribbean Sea, tsunami threat diminishes
By Brian Lada, AccuWeather meteorologist and staff writer By Faith Eherts, AccuWeather meteorologist January 10, 2018, 3:04:42 AM EST
A magnitude 7.6 earthquake shook the Caribbean Sea early Tuesday night. As of 10:48 p.m. CST, all tsunami advisories were canceled throughout the Caribbean and Central America.
The earthquake occurred west of Jamaica at a depth of just 6.2 miles (10 km).
According to the National Tsunami Warning Center (NTWC), hazardous tsunami waves are possible within 621 miles (1,000 km) of the quake's epicenter.
Hazardous tsunami waves up to 3.3 feet (1 meter) above tide level are possible for some coasts of Honduras and Belize.
Smaller changes in sea levels are possible for other areas in the Caribbean, including Mexico, Cuba, Jamaica, Belize, Honduras and Cayman Islands, according to the NTWC.
People near the coast should seek higher ground immediately.
11:08 p.m. CST Tuesday:
Quickly receding water has been observed along the shores of Belize. Some reports indicate the water has receded up to 10 feet.
However, the National Weather Service Pacific Tsunami Warning Center has indicated that "there is no longer a tsunami threat from this earthquake" as of 10:48 p.m. CDT.
A tsunami advisory was issued for Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Island and the British Virgin Islands shortly after the earthquake hit, but was later canceled.
No tsunami is expected along the United States' Gulf and East Coasts.
Tsunami Info Stmt: M7.8 in the Caribbean Sea
2152EST Jan 9: Tsunami NOT expected; U.S. Atlantic or Gulf Coast
#NTWC — NWS Tsunami Alerts (@NWS_NTWC) January 10, 2018
Tuesday night's earthquake was stronger than the magnitude 7.0 earthquake that devastated Haiti on Jan. 12, 2010.
Two aftershocks have occurred since the original earthquake, at magnitudes 4.3 and 4.5. Both were recorded within 50 kilometers of the original epicenter.
This is a developing story. Continue to check back for more updates.
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TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AP) -- One of the strongest earthquakes to hit the Caribbean in modern times struck off the coast of Honduras on Tuesday night, shaking the mainland and setting off tsunami warnings that were canceled about an hour later.
There were no early reports of serious damage or casualties on land after the quake struck shortly before 10 p.m. EST. Officials in Honduras said shaking was registered across much of the nation and there were some reports of cracks in homes in Colon and Atlantida provinces along the northern coast and Olancho in eastern Honduras.
Tsunami centers issued advisories and warnings for Puerto Rico, the Cayman Islands, Cuba, Jamaica and other Caribbean islands as well as on the coasts of Mexico and Central America, cautioning that sea levels could rise from a foot to 3 feet (0.3 to 1 meter) above normal, but no tsunami materialized.
The U.S. Geological Survey measured the quake at a preliminary magnitude of 7.6. The tremor struck in the sea about 125 miles (202 kilometers) north-northeast of Barra Patuca, Honduras, and 188 miles (303 kilometers) southwest of George Town, Cayman Islands. The tremor occurred about 6 miles (10 kilometers) below the surface.
The northern coast of Honduras closest to the quake's epicenter is sparsely populated, with much of it covered by nature reserves. The tremor was about 25 miles (44 kilometers) east of Honduras' Swan Islands, which are unpopulated except for a small navy post.
Tuesday's quake was one of the largest to hit the Caribbean in recorded history. The 2010 quake that devastated Haiti was magnitude 7.0.
