MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica – A powerful magnitude 7.7 earthquake hit south of Cuba and northwest of Jamaica on Tuesday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).
The USGS says the quake hit at 2:10 p.m. ET and it was centered 86 miles northwest of Montego Bay, Jamaica, and 87 miles west-southwest of Niquero, Cuba.
A small tsunami was reported in the Cayman Islands, but was relatively minor.
The earthquake could be felt strongly in Santiago, the largest far-eastern Cuban city, and people in Miami, Florida, reported buildings shaking as a result of the quake, WTVJ and WPLG report. The Associated Press reports that several South Florida buildings were evacuated as a precaution.
As of 3:19 p.m. ET, 411 people had reported that they felt the earthquake, according to the USGS
Officials say the epicenter was a relatively shallow 6 miles beneath the surface.
An earthquake of this scale is categorized as a major quake and can cause serious damage. However, there were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.
Several aftershocks also rocked the region, including a 6.1 magnitude earthquake.
There were also several smaller quakes reported in and near Puerto Rico on Tuesday.
Prelim M7.7 Earthquake Cuba region Jan-28 19:10 UTC, updates https://t.co/6WL9oVd7Rl
— USGS Big Quakes (@USGSBigQuakes) January 28, 2020
This story was originally published by Aliza Chasan at WPIX.
