Powerful earthquake rattles Cuba, Jamaica, the Caymans and even Miami

A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck south of Cuba yesterday (Jan. 28), triggering evacuation warnings across the Caribbean and sending office workers fleeing in Miami’s financial district.

The quake struck at 2:10 p.m. between Cuba and Jamaica, with an epicenter 10 kilometers (6 miles) beneath the surface, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

It shook a vast area from Mexico to Florida and beyond, but there have been no immediate reports of casualties or heavy damage.

The Cayman Islands were rocked by several of the strong aftershocks that followed in the area, including one measuring magnitude 6.1. 

It was centered 139 kilometers (86 miles) northwest of Montego Bay, Jamaica, and 140 kilometers (87 miles) west-southwest of Niquero, Cuba.

The quake could be felt strongly in Santiago, the largest far-eastern city in Cuba. It also prompted some evacuations in South Florida, but no injuries.

It is the largest earthquake in the Caribbean since 1946.