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6.1 Magnitude Earthquake Strikes West of Cuba, Felt in Florida
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia /Disasters & Emergencies

6.1 Magnitude Earthquake Strikes West of Cuba, Felt in Florida

From Asharq Al-Awsat · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Outcome reported
  • A 6.1 magnitude earthquake struck west of Cuba, felt in Havana and Florida.
  • Buildings shook, causing some fear, but no injuries or damage were reported.
  • The earthquake was unusually large for the Gulf of Mexico, though no tsunami was generated.

A 6.1 magnitude earthquake jolted western Cuba on Monday afternoon, with tremors felt as far north as Florida. The earthquake, originating at a depth of 26 kilometers (16 miles) in waters west of Havana, caused buildings to shake and sparked some fear among residents.

Everyone here is OK. The people on the street are a little bit scared.

— Flavia PupoA hotel manager in Pinar del Rio, Cuba, describing the immediate aftermath of the earthquake.

In Havana, a hotel manager described the building shaking and the resulting apprehension, stating, "Everyone here is OK. The people on the street are a little bit scared." Residents in southwestern Florida also reported feeling the shaking, with social media posts indicating the tremors were felt even north of Orlando. One individual in Fort Lauderdale described a vibrating sensation that lasted about a minute, initially comparing it to nearby construction but then realizing it was an earthquake.

I have a little pendant dangling in my desk, and it was moving. That’s why I realized that it’s actually not me or my chair or anything.

— Maria MoncayoA resident in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, describing how she realized she was feeling an earthquake.

While the earthquake caused some alarm, no injuries or damage have been reported. Officials in Miami-Dade County took precautionary measures, including evacuating several buildings and temporarily suspending commuter train services. The U.S. Geological Survey noted that this earthquake was exceptionally rare, being the largest ever recorded in the Gulf of Mexico by modern instruments. Despite its magnitude, the earthquake did not trigger a tsunami, as such destructive ocean waves are more common in the Pacific.

It’s the largest earthquake ever recorded in the Gulf of Mexico with modern instruments, which date to the 1950s.

— William BarnhartA geophysicist with the US Geological Survey commenting on the rarity of the earthquake.

Geophysicists indicated that western Cuba might experience aftershocks, but they are unlikely to be felt significantly in Florida. While there is always a minimal chance of a larger subsequent earthquake, residents in Florida were advised not to expect substantial shaking from any aftershocks.

But in Florida, people shouldn’t expect to feel very much shaking, if any shaking at all, from any aftershocks that happen.

— William BarnhartA geophysicist advising on the likelihood of feeling aftershocks in Florida.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Asharq Al-Awsat in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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