Illustration: Earthquake. (Image via Metro)

M6.3 earthquake rattles Puerto Rico

Alfonsus Adi Putra
Sports & Culture
Population
Sep 24, 2019
2842
On late Monday (23/9) at 11.23 pm local time, an M6.3 earthquake occurred about 80 Km north-west off from the coast of Isabela, Puerto Rico. According to the United States Geographical Survey (USGS), the earthquake hit 10 Km deep, startling the citizens from their slumber.

Three aftershocks occurred less than an hour at M4.7 and M4.6 hitting at the same depth. The local Emergency Management Agency stated that there were no reports about the damage and no risk of tsunami reported.

Anticipating the damage and casualties, the agency stated that they had communicated with the local mayors across Isabela to search the region and to prepare for a tropical storm, Karen.

Schools and government offices in Puerto Rico had been closed anticipating heavy rain, flood, and landslides that might occur due to the tropical storm.

Puerto Rico experiences very few earthquakes that could be felt. However, the M6.3 earthquake was the strongest to hit the Isabela region in recent years. The earthquake with a similar effect occurred in early 2014 when the M6.4 earthquake hit the north coast of Isabela with 28 Km depth. After the M6.4 earthquake, about 70 aftershocks were felt with magnitudes of at least M3.

However, the Puerto Rican would never forget the 1918 earthquake. At M7.3, the earthquake was followed by a tsunami that killed 116 people in its wake.

Source: https://nypost.com/2019/09/24/6-0-magnitude-earthquake-shakes-puerto-rico/

Population , South-America , Puerto-Rico , Disaster , Natural , Earthquake