Magnitude 5.4 earthquake struck Puerto Rico
Around 7:00 AM local time May 2, a magnitude 5.4 earthquake struck offshore south of Tallaboa, Puerto Rico according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
USGS reports that the quake hit at a shallow depth of 5.6 miles near the city of Ponce and the towns of Guanica and Guayanilla.
“Everything shook really hard,” said Guayanilla spokesman Danny Hernández.
Ponce Mayor Mayita Melendez tweeted that officials are assessing the extent of the damages and the citizen’s safety.
“We will keep doing rounds all across the city to assess the structural damage in order to save lives in danger. We are going to keep everyone posted with updates on the current situation. Please, avoid going to the city centre until we make sure everyone is safe.”
Guánica Mayor Santos Seda told the press that there were no major damage so far.
The earthquake briefly knocked out power after EcoElectrica power plant went off the grid according to the Electric Energy Authority. Likewise, the country’s Water and Sewage Authority has inspected three dams on the island and found no damage.
Meanwhile, Governor Wanda Vázquez urged Puerto Ricans to stay home even if they want to help.
“We’re up against an emergency, but we can’t forget that the most lethal one we have in our hands is COVID-19. If we forget these, the result is going to be worse.”
Series of earthquakes
Puerto Rico has been affected by a series of earthquakes in recent months kick-started by a magnitude 4.7 December last year.
The series of earthquakes has included six events of magnitude 5.5 and larger and over a thousand magnitude 3.0 and larger events.
Back in January, a magnitude 6.4 quake struck the same areas leaving one dead, hundreds of homes destroyed and caused hundreds of millions of dollars in damages.
The U.S. Geological Survey said Saturday’s quake was part of the same seismic event.
“The earthquake is an aftershock of the January 7 magnitude 6.4 earthquake and occurred as a result of similar tectonic activity. The May 2 aftershock falls within the expectations for the earthquake sequence laid out in the USGS aftershock forecast, which was recently updated to indicate a 20% chance of an earthquake magnitude 5 or higher from April 28 through May 28.”
Other Caribbean territories also reported feeling the tremor.
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