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6.8 and 5.9 Magnitude Earthquakes Hit Eastern Cuba After Hurricanes

Nov 10, 2024, 06:32 PM

A magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck off the southeastern coast of Cuba at 11:49 AM ET on Sunday morning, near Granma province and the municipality of Bartolomé Masó, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). A second earthquake of magnitude 5.9 occurred within an hour of the first. The quakes caused damage to buildings and infrastructure in eastern Cuba, including reports of landslides and damage in Manzanillo. The tremors were felt as far away as Florida and Jamaica, with seismographs near Disney in Central Florida detecting the earthquake, and residents in Miami reporting shaking. The USGS reported there was no tsunami threat. Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel announced that the National Defense Council is coordinating with local authorities in Santiago de Cuba and Granma to assess the damage. The earthquake comes after weeks of hurricanes, including Category 3 Hurricane Rafael less than a week ago, and blackouts that have impacted the island.