An earthquake has jolted the Caribbean, leaving the islands on edge. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) has indicated that slight tremors may have been experienced across the Caribbean region, spanning from the Yucatán Peninsula to Nicaragua and Honduras, and potentially reaching as far north as the southern coast of Cuba. In the immediate aftermath of the seismic event, emergency management agencies in Central America and the Caribbean have not reported any injuries. The fault line adjacent to the islands, known as the Cayman Trough, delineates the boundary between the North American and Caribbean tectonic plates. While aftershocks following a major earthquake can persist for months or even years, the USGS notes that these subsequent tremors typically do not match the intensity of the initial quake. Tsunamis are infrequent occurrences in the Caribbean region due to fault lines generally not displacing substantial amounts of seawater. The University of the West Indies has documented only ten significant earthquake-triggered tsunamis within the past five centuries. Notably, the Caribbean experienced a powerful 7.2-magnitude earthquake in 2021, striking southern Haiti and resulting in significant infrastructure damage, although the heavily populated city of Port-au-Prince largely escaped unscathed. In 2010, Haiti was ravaged by a 7.0-magnitude quake, which, due to its shallow depth and epicenter proximity to the capital, tragically claimed the lives of over 200,000 individuals as reported by the United Nations. Additionally, in 2020, a magnitude 7.7 earthquake shook off the coast of Jamaica, with tremors felt from Central America to South Florida, yet fortunately, no major damage was reported. The recent seismic activity underscores the region’s susceptibility to earthquakes and the importance of preparedness in the face of such natural disasters.
