Story highlights The earthquake struck 27 miles east of Great Swan Island, Honduras
People had been urged to seek higher ground before tsunami threat passed
(CNN) There is no longer a tsunami threat for the Caribbean and Central America after a magnitude-7.6 earthquake struck 27 miles (43 kilometers) off the coast of Honduras, the US Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said Wednesday.
Waves reaching 0.3 to 1 meter above the tide level had been possible, but the agency said the threat had passed.
The earthquake struck 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, had 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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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.
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.
Multiple tsunami warnings were issued for the hurricane devastated islands of Puerto Rico, the British and US Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Cuba and Nicaragua. The advisory of a “potential threat” was also issued for Mexico, Panama, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Jamaica and Belize after the earthquake, initially recorded by the USGS as a 7.8 magnitude, struck 44km east of Great Swan Island, Honduras. The advisories came as the region is still recovering from the devestation left by several deadly hurricanes last year – including Hurricane Irma, Hurricane Nate and Hurricane Maria. The NWS Pacific Warning Center in a statement said: “Based on all available data… hazardous tsunami waves are forecast for some coasts. “Persons located in the threatened coastal areas should stay alert for information and follow instructions from national and local authorities.”
GETTY/USGS The Caribbean was under threat of a tsunami after 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck near Honduras
USGS Tremors were reported as far as Mexico
The tsunami advisory warnings have since been lifted. Witnesses reported seeing windows rattle in the Honduran capital of Tegucigalpa roughly 323 miles (519 km) to the east of the quake’s epicentre, but no reports of damage have emerged so far. The quake was very shallow, at only 6.2 miles (10 km), which would have amplified its effect. It was also lightly felt in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo north of Honduras, according to Mexico's civil protection director. In Honduras, firefighters said some residents in southern neighbourhoods fled their homes after feeling the shaking. The country operates a small naval base on Great Swan Island, about 27 miles (44 km) west of the quake's epicenter, but it was not immediately clear how the tremors affected the station.
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Director of Honduras' contingencies commission, Lizandro Rosales, said: “We have reports that it was felt in the majority of the country, but we don't have reports of damage Rodrigo Anaya Rodriguez was in a hammock inside his house near popular tourist site Bacalar Lake on Mexico's Caribbean coast when he felt three tremors. He said: ”It felt like a bulldozer was driving past. It didn't last long but was very violent." Mr Rodriguez ran to his balcony and saw electricity posts and cables swaying. According to USGS pager charts, there is a 34 per cent chance of fatalities – however, no reports of casualties have emerged so far. The NWS Pacific Warning Center has issued “recommended actions” for threatened areas – including “do not go to the shore to observe the tsunami” and “do not return to the evacuated areas until the all clear is given”. The tsunami hazard was forecast to begin around 1.23 AST and could persist for many hours.
USGS Tsunami advisory warning were triggered by the 7.6 magnitude earthquake
