Tsunami warnings at various locations in the Caribbean Sea were canceled hours after a 7.6-magnitude earthquake struck between Honduras and the Cayman Islands.
DEVELOPING: Massive Earthquake Hits Caribbean Sea, Tsunami Warnings
"With the latest modeling and information, the tsunami threat has passed," the National Tsunami Warning Center stated.
"There are no alerts posted for the United States or International Partners. The tsunami threat has passed. Unusual currents may be noticed in some areas. Exercise normal caution," it added.
🌊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. Unusual currents may be noticed in some areas. Exercise normal caution.
— NWS Tsunami Alerts (@NWS_NTWC) February 9, 2025
Per USA TODAY:
At the same time, minutes before the warning was lifted, the center said a tsunami of 1.2 inches was measured on the Yucatan Peninsula in Isla Mujeres, Mexico.
"While that sounds small, it's evidence and confirmation that a tsunami is occurring due to a significant earthquake," the agency had said, adding there was no tsunami danger for Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, or the continental United States.
ADVERTISEMENTThe warning was issued Saturday evening for the U.S. territories of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands after a magnitude 7.6 earthquake occurred at a depth of 10 km in the Caribbean Sea around 6:23 p.m. ET, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. It was the result of "strike slip faulting in the shallow crust near the boundary between the North America and Caribbean plates," USGS said.
According to the tsunami warning, sea level fluctuations and strong ocean currents could pose a threat along coasts, beaches, in harbors and in coastal waters. The advisory added "sea level readings are not yet available to confirm or evaluate if a tsunami has been generated" and that the agency will update as more information is available.
However, there was no threat to the U.S. Atlantic or Gulf Coast after the quake, the tsunami warning system said.
Pacific Tsunami Warning Center: "The tsunami threat from this earthquake has passed and there is no further threat." pic.twitter.com/T1vdwkM2s6
— Steve Lookner (@lookner) February 9, 2025
#UPDATE: The tsunami threat has passed, according to the U.S. National Tsunami Warning Center. Unusual currents may be noticed in some areas, they said. https://t.co/3gfvxFjgSy
— ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) February 9, 2025
CNN reports:
The tremor hit 129 miles southwest of Georgetown, Cayman Islands, at 6.23 p.m. ET Saturday, the USGS reported.
The US National Tsunami Warning Center (NWTC) initially said there was a tsunami threat to Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Residents in those places were advised to move out of the water, off the beach and away from harbors, marinas, bays and inlets, and not go to shore to observe the tsunami.
The center later canceled the advisory for Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, but said advisories were still in place for Cuba – where tsunami waves of between 1 and 3 meters above tide level are possible – and Honduras and the Cayman Islands, where waves of 30 centimeters to 1 meter above tide level are possible.
These waves are expected between 8 p.m. ET and 10:30 p.m. ET.
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