A powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 6.1 rattled Cuba’s northwest coastline Monday, creating the most significant seismic event the region has experienced in almost 150 years, according to official sources.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) recorded the tremor at a relatively shallow depth of 26 kilometers (16 miles), with its center located 104 kilometers west-northwest of Mantua, Cuba – roughly two to four hours by vehicle from Havana.
This seismic activity was particularly uncommon for this Caribbean region, explained Paul Earle, a seismologist with the USGS. He noted the earthquake happened within a tectonic plate, where such events typically occur less frequently and are more dispersed compared to those along plate boundaries.
The last earthquake of comparable strength within 322 kilometers (200 miles) of Monday’s event occurred in 1880, when a 6.0 magnitude tremor struck near San Cristobal, Cuba, Earle stated.
While officials have not documented significant damage or injuries, the earthquake raised alarm in Cuba, where years of economic hardship have left many structures in poor condition. Widespread power outages throughout the area have complicated communication efforts.
“It felt strong. I had never felt anything like that,” said Yusmila Hernandez, 44, at her home in Pinar del Rio, in western Cuba.
“People ran outside, everyone scared. I can’t even explain it. It felt like no earthquake has ever felt here before,” Hernandez said.
The USGS confirmed that tremors reached Florida as well. In Mexico, the earthquake was experienced in popular tourist destinations including Cancun, Playa del Carmen and Tulum on the Yucatan peninsula. Residents and employees in Cancun’s downtown area, unaccustomed to significant seismic activity, fled from buildings.
Officials in Mexico’s Yucatan and Quintana Roo states implemented emergency procedures, though both governors reported via social media that no damage had been documented yet.
The U.S. National Weather Service did not issue any tsunami warnings or advisories following the earthquake.
