Latest Earthquakes News | FOX 26 Houston

Magnitude 7.7 earthquake hits between Cuba and Jamaica

Tue, 28 Jan 2020 14:20:57 -0600

HAVANA (AP) - The U.S. Geological Survey says a powerful magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck south of Cuba and northwest of Jamaica on Tuesday.

It was centered 139 kilometers (86 miles) northwest of Montego Bay, Jamaica, and 140 kilometers (87 miles) west-southwest of Niquero, Cuba. It hit at 2:10 p.m. (1910 GMT) and the epicenter was a relatively shallow 10 kilometers (6 miles) beneath the surface.

There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.

The quake could be felt strongly in Santiago, the largest far-eastern Cuban city, said Belkis Guerrero, who works in a Catholic cultural center in the center of Santiago

“We were all sitting and we felt the chairs move,” she said. “We heard the noise of everything moving around.”

She said there was no apparent damage in the heart of the colonial city.

Houston Astros’ Carlos Correa raises money to help those affected by earthquakes in Puerto Rico

Sat, 11 Jan 2020 16:31:35 -0600

Houston Astros player Carlos Correa is stepping in to aid in the relief efforts of his native island, Puerto Rico. The help comes after Puerto Rico was shaken by a 6.0 earthquake on Saturday.

The quake caused further damage along the island’s southern coast, where previous recent quakes have toppled homes and schools.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the 8:54 a.m. (1254 GMT) quake hit 8 miles south of Indios at a shallow depth of 6 miles.

Correa is raising money through his nonprofit, the Correa Family Foundation. As of 4:30 p.m. Saturday, the foundation has raised $12,403 of the $20,000 goal.

Puerto Rico’s Electric Power Authority said outages were reported across much of southern Puerto Rico and crews were assessing possible damage at power plants.

It was the strongest shake yet since a magnitude 6.4 quake — the strongest to hit the island in a century — struck before dawn on Tuesday, knocking out power across Puerto Rico and leaving many without water. More than 2,000 people remain in shelters, many fearful of returning to their homes, and others unable to because of extensive damage.

Click here to help those affected by the earthquake by way of Correa’s foundation.

The Associated Press has contributed to this report.

Magnitude 6.0 quake hits off quake-stunned Puerto Rico

Sat, 11 Jan 2020 07:37:50 -0600

A magnitude 6.0 quake shook Puerto Rico on Saturday, causing further damage along the island’s southern coast, where previous recent quakes have toppled homes and schools.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the 8:54 a.m. (1254 GMT) quake hit 8 miles south of Indios at a shallow depth of 6 miles.

Puerto Rico’s Electric Power Authority said outages were reported across much of southern Puerto Rico and crews were assessing possible damage at power plants.

Bárbara Cruz, a prosecutor who was in the southern coastal city of Ponce when the new quake hit, said concrete debris hit the sidewalk as buildings continued to crumble.

“Everyone is out on the street,” she said.

There were no immediate reports of injuries.

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Hundreds of quakes have shaken the island since the new year, though most were too slight to be felt.

Víctor Huérfano, director of Puerto Rico’s Seismic Network, told The Associated Press that he expects still more aftershocks as a result of the latest large one.

“It’s going to re-energize an unstable situation,” he said, adding that seismologists are studying which faults were activated. “It’s a complex zone.”

Hundreds of thousands of Puerto Ricans are still without power and water, and thousands are staying in shelters and sleeping on sidewalks since Tuesday’s earthquake. That temblor killed one person, injured nine others and damaged or destroyed hundreds of homes and several schools and businesses in the island’s southwest region.

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