Major earthquake off Cuba’s coast felt across Florida
A 6.1-magnitude earthquake hit just off the coast of Cuba on Monday, the USGS reports. The major earthquake happened about 62 miles west of Mantua, Cuba.Thousands of people across Florida reported shaking just after 2 p.m., including people at Disney World and as far as Jacksonville. It was the strongest earthquake near Florida on record. No injuries or damage were immediately reported.Business haltsLake County said its government offices would be closed the rest of the day after the earthquake, “out of an abundance of caution.”Several rides at SeaWorld and other theme parks have closed temporarily. In Miami, several buildings were evacuated out of an abundance of caution, including the county’s main government office building, a 28-story high-rise in downtown Miami.Officials also temporarily suspended service for two elevated commuter train services that run through downtown. Cuba Flavia Pupo, a manager at the Pinar del Río hotel, in Pinar del Rio, described how the building shook and caused some fear.“Everyone here is OK,” she said by telephone. “The people on the street are a little bit scared.”The Oriente fault zone is located just off Cuba’s southeast coast and has unleashed damaging earthquakes in recent centuries, including a 7.7-magnitude quake in January 2020 in open waters that caused damage in Cuba and the Cayman Islands.>> The Associated Press contributed to this reporting. Cruise shipJoe Millender was on a cruise ship near the epicenter of the earthquake. “After it was over with, they did come on pretty shortly and made an announcement saying that there had been an earthquake,” he said. “Basically almost right underneath us. Our ship location and the location of the earthquake epicenter was probably within 20-25 miles of where we were.” 911 calls”The bed was shaking; I looked up, the ceiling was kind of shaking, the lamp,” Daniel Hankins said in Clermont.In Winter Garden, Jayden Ruston described the impact on her apartment.”We have a lot of hanging things in our apartment; all of them were rattling, swaying,” Ruston said.The earthquake, which occurred hundreds of miles away, led to calls to 911 in Seminole County.”Shaking? You’re getting reports on that already?” one caller asked.”Yes, ma’am.””What was that?””I’m not sure,” the dispatcher replied.In Lake County, officials closed county offices to allow engineers time to inspect older buildings, including the county administration building.”Just to give professionals time to do a structural inspection and make sure it’s safe to be in. When you’ve got an older building shaking like that, it’s a little disconcerting,” Jeff Foley with the county said.The buildings were given the all-clear by Monday night. County offices will reopen as normal on Tuesday.Despite the widespread reports of shaking, some people felt nothing at all. Professor Steve McNutt, who teaches at the School of Geosciences at the University of South Florida, said it can depend on where you are and what you’re doing.”The ideal conditions to feel an earthquake, if you’re in a very quiet interior place sitting on like a sturdy wooden chair, you’ll likely feel it. Someone walking outside 50 feet away would probably not feel it,” McNutt said.Another USF professor, seismologist Jochen Braunmiller, said an earthquake of this size and distance from Central Florida is unlikely to cause structural damage.”Maybe something fell off a shelf or something like that,” Braunmiller said.Even without damage, the experience was shocking for some folks who felt it.”My wife and my roommate come out, and we’re like, ‘Holy Toledo, did we just have what I think we had? We had an earthquake,'” Hankins said.
A 6.1-magnitude earthquake hit just off the coast of Cuba on Monday, the USGS reports.
The major earthquake happened about 62 miles west of Mantua, Cuba.
Thousands of people across Florida reported shaking just after 2 p.m., including people at Disney World and as far as Jacksonville.
It was the strongest earthquake near Florida on record. No injuries or damage were immediately reported.
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Business halts
Lake County said its government offices would be closed the rest of the day after the earthquake, “out of an abundance of caution.”
Several rides at SeaWorld and other theme parks have closed temporarily.
In Miami, several buildings were evacuated out of an abundance of caution, including the county’s main government office building, a 28-story high-rise in downtown Miami.
Officials also temporarily suspended service for two elevated commuter train services that run through downtown.
Cuba
Flavia Pupo, a manager at the Pinar del Río hotel, in Pinar del Rio, described how the building shook and caused some fear.
“Everyone here is OK,” she said by telephone. “The people on the street are a little bit scared.”
The Oriente fault zone is located just off Cuba’s southeast coast and has unleashed damaging earthquakes in recent centuries, including a 7.7-magnitude quake in January 2020 in open waters that caused damage in Cuba and the Cayman Islands.
>> The Associated Press contributed to this reporting.
Cruise ship
Joe Millender was on a cruise ship near the epicenter of the earthquake.
“After it was over with, they did come on pretty shortly and made an announcement saying that there had been an earthquake,” he said. “Basically almost right underneath us. Our ship location and the location of the earthquake epicenter was probably within 20-25 miles of where we were.”
911 calls
“The bed was shaking; I looked up, the ceiling was kind of shaking, the lamp,” Daniel Hankins said in Clermont.
In Winter Garden, Jayden Ruston described the impact on her apartment.
“We have a lot of hanging things in our apartment; all of them were rattling, swaying,” Ruston said.
The earthquake, which occurred hundreds of miles away, led to calls to 911 in Seminole County.
“Shaking? You’re getting reports on that already?” one caller asked.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“What was that?”
“I’m not sure,” the dispatcher replied.
In Lake County, officials closed county offices to allow engineers time to inspect older buildings, including the county administration building.
“Just to give professionals time to do a structural inspection and make sure it’s safe to be in. When you’ve got an older building shaking like that, it’s a little disconcerting,” Jeff Foley with the county said.
The buildings were given the all-clear by Monday night. County offices will reopen as normal on Tuesday.
Despite the widespread reports of shaking, some people felt nothing at all. Professor Steve McNutt, who teaches at the School of Geosciences at the University of South Florida, said it can depend on where you are and what you’re doing.
“The ideal conditions to feel an earthquake, if you’re in a very quiet interior place sitting on like a sturdy wooden chair, you’ll likely feel it. Someone walking outside 50 feet away would probably not feel it,” McNutt said.
Another USF professor, seismologist Jochen Braunmiller, said an earthquake of this size and distance from Central Florida is unlikely to cause structural damage.
“Maybe something fell off a shelf or something like that,” Braunmiller said.
Even without damage, the experience was shocking for some folks who felt it.
“My wife and my roommate come out, and we’re like, ‘Holy Toledo, did we just have what I think we had? We had an earthquake,'” Hankins said.
This content is imported from Twitter.
You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
This content is imported from Twitter.
You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
This content is imported from Twitter.
You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
This content is imported from Twitter.
You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
This content is imported from Twitter.
You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.