Yesterday, the Caribbean was hit by a 7.7 magnitude earthquake. It occurred about 10km underwater, not on a fault line, luckily. According to the Mona Geomatics Institute, this was bigger than the Port Royal earthquake in 1692. Five thousand people died. If yesterday’s earthquake had moved to the left or right, there would likely be more damage. It was felt as far away as Miami, Cuba and Cayman Islands.

I did not feel a thing. Nor did my children. My husband, however, thought he was feeling sick or needed to eat something, as he was at his office and it began to shake and sway and things fell off the shelves. And it was apparently mayhem in the main business district of Kingston, where everyone fled the buildings they were working in.

I contributed to reports from Reuters and Associated Press. I found people to talk to in both Jamaica and Cayman Islands. Everyone was in a state of shock. Damage was much worse in Cayman, with sinkholes and blown out drains. There were no fatalities or injuries, thankfully.

It should also be noted that this was the response from the Jamaican government’s official office for disaster preparedness. A little concerning. No direction on what to do, where to go, what not to do…

Read the articles here and here.