Two strong earthquakes were reported off the coast of Cuba late Sunday morning, prompting officials to warn of a small tsunami threat. According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the two earthquakes occurred within an hour of each other.
The first earthquake, with a magnitude of 5.9, was detected just before 11 a.m. ET, approximately 22 miles south of Bartolomé Masó, Cuba, at a depth of about 9 miles.
The second earthquake, which was stronger at a magnitude of 6.8, occurred an hour later, just before noon ET. This quake was centered about 25 miles south of Bartolomé Masó at a depth of approximately 8 miles.
Shortly after the second earthquake was reported, the National Weather Service Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) in Honolulu issued an alert. They stated that while there was no significant threat of a tsunami, “there is a very small possibility of tsunami waves along the coasts nearest to the epicenter.”
The NWS National Tsunami Warning Center in Palmer, Alaska, indicated that there was no tsunami danger for the U.S. East Coast, the Gulf of Mexico, or the eastern coast of Canada.
The PTWC mentioned that this would be its only notification and that national authorities would determine the appropriate level of alerts for each country, possibly issuing additional or more refined information.
