A 7.6 magnitude earthquake shakes Caribbean; some islands urge residents to leave coastlines

MEXICO CITY — A magnitude 7.6 earthquake shook the Caribbean Sea southwest of the Cayman Islands on Saturday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, and some islands and countries urged people near the coast to move inland in case of a tsunami.

The quake struck at 6:23 p.m. in the middle of the sea and had a depth of 6.2 miles, the USGS said. The epicenter was 130 miles south-southwest of George Town in the Cayman Islands.

The U.S. National Tsunami Warning Center issued, then canceled a tsunami advisory for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The sounding of alarms in Puerto Rico’s northwest region spurred people to leave coastal areas and caused heavy traffic, according to local media.

Puerto Rico Gov. Jenniffer González Colón said in a statement she was in contact with emergency agencies after the tsunami advisory, but did not recommend anyone leave the coast.

Hazard Management Cayman Islands urged residents near the coast to move inland and to higher ground. It said wave heights of up to 3.3 feet were expected.

The Dominican government also issued a tsunami alert and recommended residents on the coast move to higher, inland areas. It later canceled the alert.

The Cuban government requested that people leave beachfront areas. The Bahamas Department of Meteorology also issued a tsunami advisory, but urged its residents to be “vigilant.”

Honduran authorities said there were no immediate reports of damage, but urged residents to stay away from beaches, local news reports said.

Later, the U.S. government’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said that “tsunami waves reaching 1 to 3 meters [about 3 1/3 feet to nearly 10 feet] above the tide level are possible along some coasts of Cuba.”

“Actual amplitudes at the coast may vary from forecast amplitudes due to uncertainties in the forecast and local features,” NOAA said in a report.