Magnitude 7.6 earthquake strikes off Central America
The United States Geological Service (USGS) said that a 7.6 magnitude earthquake struck in the Caribbean Sea between the coast of Honduras and the Cayman Islands.
The Tuesday evening quake sparked a tsunami advisory in the area, according to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC).
PTWC said tsunami waves from this quake were possible within 620 miles (1,000 kilometers) of the epicenter along the coasts of: Cayman Islands, Jamaica, Mexico, Honduras, Cuba, Belize, San Andres, Costa Rica, Panama, Nicaragua and Guatemala.
However, no tsunami waves had been confirmed, but that a sea level rise from a foot to 3 feet (0.3 to 1 meter) above normal might occur.
The quake was centered about 125.4 miles north/northeast off the coast of Barra Patucca, Honduras, and located about 25 miles (44 kilometers) from Honduras' Swan Islands - which is unpopulated except for a small navy post.
No reports of serious damage was immediately reported, but The Associated Press said there were was cracks in homes in Colon and Atlantida provinces along the northern coast of Honduras and Olancho in eastern Honduras.
USGS said the quake was very shallow (6.2 miles) which amplifies its effect.
The National Weather Service in Puerto Rico earlier in the night urged "persons located in/near the ocean" to move away from the water, off the beach and away from the harbor:
11:22pm Recommended actions: persons located in/near the ocean should move out of the waters, off the beach and away from the harbor.
— NWS San Juan (@NWSSanJuan) January 10, 2018
Acciones recomendadas: personas cerca o en el agua deben alejarse de las aguas, fuera de las playas y alejados de los puertos.
PTWC officials are in the process of canceling a tsunami advisory for Puerto Rico and the U.S. and British Virgin Islands.
The Associated Press writes that the northern coast of Honduras closet to the epicenter is sparsely populated -- much of it covered by nature reserves. Some in the capital of Tegucigalpa said they did not feel the quake.
President Juan Orlando Hernandez wrote on Twitter that Honduras activated its emergency system and asked people to remain calm.
AP writes that Puerto Rico's public safety secretary Hector Pesquera said that authorities were monitoring the coastlines of 46 municipalities on the U.S. territory.
"It's important that people do not go into the water and stay away from the shoreline," Pesquera said.
USGS originally documented the earthquake as magnitude 7.8.
