In 2021 a 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti (Image: undefined)
A powerful 7.6 magnitude has sent shockwaves through the , prompting a dozen islands to be on high alert for potential tsunami waves since Saturday. Both Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands have issued tsunami advisories, with other Caribbean nations raising alarms about the possible threat.
The National Weather Service has warned, “Earthquakes of this size are known to generate tsunamis dangerous to shorelines near the source,” A watch list has been compiled, including Colombia, Haiti, Belize, Saba, Aruba, Curacao, Costa Rica, the Bahamas, Cuba, the Cayman Islands, Panama, the Dominican Republic, the Turks and Caicos Islands, Honduras, , Bonaire, Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Jamaica—all of which experienced tremors 209 km southwest of George Town in the Cayman Islands.
Yet, one expert has taken to platform X to alleviate fears of a tsunami. Atmospheric scientist Matthew Cappucci stated, “It was shallow, with a depth of barely 7 miles,” explaining that the quake’s nature—a “strike-slip” with limited vertical movement—means there’s a minimal risk of a significant wave.
“This was a lateral ‘strike-slip’ quake; minimal up/down motion, so very low tsunami threat,” he clarified, offering reassurance. The USGS remains unfazed as well, noting that “Large earthquakes at this location of the plate boundary are not unexpected.”
Surrounding island countries have issued potential tsunami threat warnings after alarming earthquake (Image: NOAA/Earthstar Geographics/ESRI)
They noted: “Luckily, the remote location of these earthquakes limits the potential for significant damage due to shaking.”, reports
In the past century, at least ten powerful quakes with a magnitude of six or more have occurred within 250 km of the recent tremor’s epicentre. There’s historical evidence too – in 2018, a quake of 7.5 magnitude, caused by a similar event, spawned a small tsunami that created quite the commotion.
The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has stated that this latest earthquake is the strongest to strike the area since 2021, when Haiti was hit by a 7.2 magnitude quake. Moreover, in 2023, Haiti suffered another blow with a magnitude-five earthquake, which resulted in extensive damage.