The Government of Jamaica has issued a TSUNAMI WARNING for the coastal areas of the country. A powerful earthquake struck the Caribbean on Tuesday afternoon, shaking parts of Jamaica and Cuba shortly after 2 p.m. local time. The earthquake was originally rated a 7.3 by the USGS, but was later upgraded to a 7.7. The epicenter of the earthquake was 78 miles (125 km) northwest of Lucea, Jamaica, and was shallow with a depth of just 6.2 miles (10 km). Shaking was felt as far away as Miami, Florida, and reports began surfacing on social media that high-rise buildings were felt swaying.
A tsunami warning means that hazardous waves of 3 feet or greater is expected within the next hour. All residents should seek higher ground immediately. The risk of 1 foot tsunami generated waves are possible along portions of Mexico, Cuba, Cayman Islands, Belize, and Honduras. If a tsunami is generated, here are the expected arrival times in local time:
Kingston, Jamaica, 3:24 PM ET
Cozmuel, Mexico, 3:34 PM ET
Puerto Cortes, Honduras, 3:38 PM ET
Belize City, Belize, 4:48 PM ET
Santa Cruz Del Sur, Cuba, 5:16 PM ET
Nueva Gerona, Cuba, 6:45 PM ET.
Interests should monitor their local national weather organization for tsunami warnings.
UPDATE 3p.m.: There is NO threat of a tsunami to Belize from the 7.3 magnitude earthquake that occurred today between Cuba and Jamaica. The official ALL CLEAR has been issued by NEMO.
