A 7.6 magnitude earthquake struck the Caribbean Sea on Saturday evening, north of Honduras and southwest of the Cayman Islands. The earthquake occurred at a depth of 10 km and was the result of faulting near the boundary between the North America and Caribbean plates. The U.S. Tsunami Warning System issued a warning for Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, alerting of potential sea level fluctuations and strong ocean currents. However, there was no threat to the U.S. Atlantic or Gulf Coast.
The U.S. Geological Survey stated that large earthquakes in this location are not unexpected, with similar events occurring in the past century. A 7.5 magnitude earthquake with a similar mechanism occurred in January 2018, causing some damage and a small tsunami. The agency mentioned that the remote location of these earthquakes limits the potential for significant damage from shaking.
Saman Shafiq, a trending news reporter for USA TODAY, covered the earthquake and can be reached at sshafiq@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @saman_shafiq7 for updates on this and other news stories.
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