A magnitude 7.6 earthquake occurred in the western Caribbean on Saturday night, with a tsunami advisory issued for the Cayman Islands and later lifted with no observed tsunami. Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands were also initially under a tsunami threat but were cleared. The earthquake struck south-southwest of George Town, Cayman Islands, at a depth of 6 miles below ground. The Cayman Islands government’s hazard management agency issued alerts urging residents to move inland, describing tsunamis as deceptively powerful waves. Cuba was also briefly under a tsunami threat but had no active warnings overnight. Puerto Rico’s governor advised residents to stay out of the water on the west and south coasts as a precaution. The USGS initially measured the earthquake at 8.0 but later revised it to 7.6, attributing it to a strike-slip fault near the boundary between the North America and Caribbean tectonic plates. Despite the earthquake’s magnitude, its location limited the potential for significant damage due to shaking. The USGS noted that 10 magnitude 6 or greater earthquakes have occurred in the area in the last century, with one noteworthy event in January 2018 resulting in damage and a small tsunami. The agency emphasized that the remote location of these earthquakes reduces the risk of significant damage.
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