The Tribune

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS


Tribune Staff Reporter


lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

THE earth shook for residents in Inagua early Sunday after light tremors were felt when a 5.8-magnitude earthquake struck eastern Cuba, though officials said there was little damage, no injuries and no tsunami threat to The Bahamas.

Preliminary assessments indicated that light to moderate shaking may have been felt in parts of the southern Bahamas, including Inagua and Acklins, as well as in the Turks and Caicos Islands. Little damage and no injuries were reported locally.

The Bahamas Department of Meteorology said the earthquake occurred around 7am and was centred about 49 kilometres southeast of Baracoa in Cuba’s Guantánamo Province, at a shallow depth of 15 kilometres.

Working with the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center and the United States Geological Survey, the department assessed the event and confirmed there was no tsunami risk to The Bahamas.

Inagua Island Administrator Quenna Gibson said she was out of the district at the time but received multiple reports from residents who experienced shaking.

“At the time of the reported incident, I was out of the district. However, I received multiple accounts from residents within the district indicating that seismic activity was felt. ASP Kelly Kemp reported experiencing shaking of his bed and vibrating of his residence. Similar experiences were reported by Chief Councillor Palacious and other residents.

“While it has not been confirmed whether these effects were experienced island-wide, it is believed that the reported shaking was the result of tremors associated with the recent seismic event in Cuba. There were no reports of damages or loss of life,” she told The Tribune yesterday.

Residents said the tremors lasted several seconds shortly after 7am, with some reporting movement inside their homes while they were in bed. Similar tremors have been felt in the past following regional earthquakes.

The Department of Meteorology advised residents to remain calm and continue normal activities, noting that while aftershocks are possible, none are expected to be significant. Officials encouraged the public to report any damage or injuries to local authorities and to follow official channels for updates.

George O Harris, a resident of Inagua and a district council member, said he did not feel the tremor himself but was alerted shortly after 7am by a neighbour who called moments after the shaking began. The neighbour told him, “Did you feel it? My bed was shaking,” describing being jolted awake as the bed moved beneath him.

Mr Harris said he later began receiving notifications from the Weather Service confirming an earthquake near the island, as more residents called to describe their experiences. While he did not notice anything displaced in his bedroom, he said he later observed new cracks around doorways in his older building, which he believes were caused by the tremor.

As he moved around the settlement checking buildings, including government facilities and the compound housing his radio station, Coast FM, Mr Harris said he found no serious structural damage. He said residents described dramatic scenes, including one woman who ran outside after feeling her bed roll and said, “Boy, this is some evilness,” before later realising an earthquake had occurred.