Puerto Rico faced the possibility of being impacted by tsunami waves after a strong 7.6 magnitude earthquake hit the Caribbean on Tuesday, but a tsunami advisory was canceled after less than two hours.
The U.S. Geological Survey detected the earthquake shortly before 10 p.m. EST and a subsequent tsunami advisory was put into effect for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, which is operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The advisory was later canceled, but PTWC urged continued caution and warned there still may be minor sea fluctuations over the next few hours.
The earthquake struck in the ocean between Honduras and Cuba. USGS initially reported a 7.8 magnitude earthquake, but later downgraded it to a 7.6 magnitude quake. Jamaica and parts of Central America had also faced possible tsunami conditions. Some homes in Honduras were cracked due to the quake, but there were no immediate reports of serious damage or casualties related to the event, according to the Associated Press.
The National Weather Service in San Juan, Puerto Rico's capital, recommended people should stay away from the coast.
Puerto Rico and its estimated 3.5 million residents are still recovering from an intense hurricane season last year. Hurricane Maria made landfall as a Category 4 storm over Puerto Rico in September and wiped out electricity across the island territory.
Power still has not been returned to more than 40 percent of customers four months later, according to ABC News this week. Maria caused an estimated $95 billion in damage and killed dozens of people.
Scientists have predicted for years that killer tsunamis could strike the Caribbean, which lacks an adequate warning system even though its seabed is gouged by some of the world's deepest trenches where tidal waves are generated. (AP Photo/Andres Leighton)
by Daniel Chaitin
Tsunami advisory issued, then canceled for Puerto Rico after massive earthquake
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