A 6.1 magnitude earthquake struck off the west coast of Cuba on the afternoon of June 8, causing tremors that could be felt across Palm Beach County and in other parts of Florida.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the earthquake occurred at about 2 p.m. with its epicenter located about 65 miles west northwest of Mantua, Cuba.
In Palm Beach County, the Treasure Coast, and as far north as Tallahassee, residents reported feeling tremors, with some being forced to evacuate buildings.
A spokesperson for Palm Beach County Fire Rescue said the agency’s communication center received multiple calls shortly after 2 p.m. with concerns over buildings shaking. One West Palm Beach-area resident reported photos rattling on the walls of their home.
“Earthquake in Cuba felt here in Palm Beach. We had to evacuate one of our buildings,” one person posted on social media.
There were no reports of injuries related to the event, Fire Rescue said. The Palm Beach County Division of Emergency Management said it is monitoring the situation. The National Weather Service’s Miami office said there were no tsunami threats for South Florida.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, a tsunami is an ocean wave triggered by large earthquakes that occur near or under the ocean, volcanic eruptions, submarine landslides or by onshore landslides in which large volumes of debris fall into the water.
The city of Boynton Beach issued a statement urging residents to remain calm, check their homes and businesses and only call 911 in cases of an emergency.
This is a breaking story. Check back to www.PalmBeachPost.com for updates.
Julius Whigham II covers northern Palm Beach County and public safety for The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at jwhigham@pbpost.com and follow him on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, at @JuliusWhigham. Help support our work: Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: County residents feel tremors from earthquake off Cuba’s west coast
Reporting by Julius Whigham II, Palm Beach Post / Palm Beach Post
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Julius Whigham II, Palm Beach Post | USA TODAY Network
