JUST IN: Caribbean Earthquake Sparks Tsunami Warning

A brief tsunami warning was issued for Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands on Saturday evening after a 7.6 magnitude earthquake hit the Caribbean Sea....Read Full Article >>➤

The National Tsunami Warning Center has since confirmed that the threat of a tsunami has passed. Newsweek has contacted the Center, via email, for comment.

Why It Matters

Over the last century, 10 earthquakes with magnitudes of six or larger have occurred within 250 kilometers of the quake that took place on Saturday.

One of these, which occurred on January 10, 2018, caused a small tsunami and some damage.

“Luckily, the remote location of these earthquakes limits the potential for significant damage due to shaking,” the U.S. Geological Survey said.

What To Know

The powerful earthquake hit the Caribbean, north of Honduras and southwest of the Cayman Islands, at around 6:23 p.m. local time on Saturday.

“Earthquakes of this size are known to generate tsunamis potentially dangerous to coasts outside the source region,” the National Tsunami Warning Center said in one of its earlier posts.

On top of the existing tsunami warning, the center also issued a threat advisory for Cuba, Honduras and the Cayman Islands.

At one point on Saturday night, the center reported a tsunami of 1.2 inches, in Isla Mujeres, Mexico, on the Yucatan Peninsula.

“While that sounds small, it’s evidence and confirmation that a tsunami is occurring due to a significant earthquake,” it said.

But the threat passed through the region without any incident. In the center’s most recent post, it said: “With the latest modeling and information, the tsunami threat has passed. There are no alerts posted for the United States or international partners. The tsunami threat has passed.”

The original earthquake occurred as a result of the “strike slip faulting in the shallow crust near the boundary between the North America and Caribbean plates,” according to The U.S. Geological Survey.

What People Are Saying

The U.S. Geological Survey said: “While commonly plotted as points on maps, earthquakes of this size are more appropriately described as slip over a larger fault area.” It added: “Large earthquakes at this location of the plate boundary are not unexpected.”

In the aftermath of the earthquake, when it was still unclear whether it would cause a tsunami, Puerto Rico Seismic Network director Ángel Vázquez told CBS News: “Although a high-impact event is not anticipated, as a safety measure, no one should be in the water until further notice. It is important to follow official information and avoid the spread of rumors.”

What Happens Next

There is no longer any threat of a tsunami, but the National Tsunami Warning Center has said that “unusual currents may be noticed in some areas” and people should “exercise normal caution.”