2024 Cuba earthquake

On 10 November 2024, at 11:49 EST (16:49 UTC), a  6.8 earthquake hit southern Cuba. It was located offshore, with an epicenter  south-southwest of Bartolomé Masó, and happened at a depth of .

 Tectonic setting 
The southern coast of Cuba is next to the North American plate. There was a big fault line called the Septentrional-Oriente fault. The North American plate moves west compared to the Gonâve Microplate at 6 to 11 mm per year. This area is where most earthquakes in Cuba happen, with major ones in 1766, 1917, 1932, 1947, 1992, and 2020.

 Earthquake  

The earthquake had a maximum Modified Mercalli intensity of VIII (Severe). About 2.1 million people felt moderate shaking or stronger. Light shaking was also felt in Jamaica and western Haiti, with reports from Florida and the Cayman Islands. The quake happened along a fault moving sideways, with the fault line running east-west and slanting steeply to the north.

A  5.9 foreshock happened at 15:50 UTC (10:50 EST), also registering an estimated Mercalli intensity of VII (Very Strong).

 Impact 
Ten people were injured from the earthquake. Seventy-eight homes were destroyed, while 5,116 others, along with 474 public buildings, a dock, and the Faro Vargas lighthouse were damaged.

The earthquake struck just four days after Hurricane Rafael, which caused a power outage across the island. This outage was still ongoing during the earthquake, making it hard for officials to give updates. The shaking was felt across eastern Cuba, including big cities like Santiago de Cuba.

 References 

Category:2024 in North America
Category:2020s in Cuba
Category:2024 earthquakes
Category:2024 disasters
Category:November 2024 events
Category:Earthquakes in North America