Minor Earthquake shakes Jamaica’s Portland parish

Minor earthquake of 2.9 on the Richter scale, sent Jamaica trembling on Monday afternoon. The measure occurred at 3:51 PM local time, and measured 10 km southwest of Buff Bay, Portland, according to the Earthquake Unit at the University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica.

Though the quake was experienced in several regions of the island including Mavis Bank in St Andrew, there was no report of major losses or even injuries. It had not been a strongly powerful earthquake, but nevertheless, the occurrence of the event emphasized the seismically active nature of the area.

The Earthquake Unit of Jamaica with responsibility for pointing out possibilities of earthquakes in the country stated that the widely felt earthquake might have been influenced by characteristics such as depth and population density of the affected areas. They observed that although such 2.9 magnitude quakes are considered to be non-threatening, but they can be rather alarming to the people living in the area.

On the site and its neighbouring regions, people described it as a mild earthquake whereby they felt the ground shaking but no cases of structural failure or disruption of services were reported. The local emergency services teams and the key figures of the communities were also among the first to arrive in order to assess if there have been any loss of life or considerable losses in terms of property.

Jamaica lies in a very active seismic zone known as the Caribbean plate margin of which the tectonic activity is much higher than in other regions of the globe. As a tectonically active region, it is likely to often face generally small, earthquakes resulting from the movements of the Caribbean Plate and related geological structures.

The measures taken by the Earthquake Unit in responding to the natural disturbance were to upgrade their seismic monitoring equipment and the preparations to notify additional bulletins in case it is necessary. Councils are encouraging people to keep abreast with news of further quakes and the importance of prioritizing preparedness plans.

Authorities have notified the citizens to be cautious of any further shakings or disturbances that might follow and have advised them to proceed accordingly.

As the situation unfolds, the Earthquake Unit will continue to give details and recommendations for the welfare of people in Jamaica. Until now, the people of the island are on high alert to conduct further observation of any more seismic events.