Puerto Rico Hit by 5.8 Magnitude Earthquake
by Jessica Montevago
The magnitude 5.8 earthquake occured offshore of southwest Puerto Rico. Photo: USGS
A 5.8 magnitude earthquake struck southwest Puerto Rico early Monday morning, causing cracks in homes and power outages.
It struck just south of the island at a depth of 6 kilometers (about 3.7 miles) below ground at 5:32 am, according to the U.S. Geological Service (USGS). Another quake measured at magnitude 5.1 struck later at 10:51 am.
The quake was nine miles from the coastal town of Guánica, where some homes were damaged. No major injuries were reported.
No tsunami warning was issued after the quake, but the USGS warned of more tremors and possible mudslides. People were warned to stay off the roads in the area to allow emergency personnel to assess the damage.
Puerto Rico lies near the border of the North American and Caribbean tectonic plates. Over the past several weeks, hundreds of small earthquakes have occurred in the same region.
“The proximity of these events to Puerto Rico, and their shallow depth, mean that dozens of these events have likely been felt on land, though with the exception of the latest M 5.8 earthquake, none are likely to have caused damage,” the USGS said.
Victor Huerfano, director of Puerto Rico’s Seismic Network, told the AP that shallow quakes were occurring along three faults in Puerto Rico’s southwest region: Lajas Valley, Montalva Point and the Guayanilla Canyon.
