Magnitude 5.0 earthquake rattles Dominican Republic

A magnitude 5.0 earthquake struck the Dominican Republic, according to preliminary reports. Shaking was felt strongly across parts of the Caribbean nation.

The quake occurred at around 3:13 p.m. on Monday and was centered in San José de Ocoa Province, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). It struck at a shallow depth of 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) below the surface.

The epicenter was located about 17 kilometers (10.5 miles) from Azua and roughly 68 kilometers (43 miles) northeast of Santo Domingo.

Residents across the country reported feeling strong tremors, particularly in Santo Domingo and areas near the epicenter.

“First time I felt a tremor like that, I thought it was because I was dizzy,” said user Hegel Martínez on X.

The earthquake comes as the Dominican Republic monitors a potential tropical cyclone forming in the Caribbean. Forecast models suggest the system could affect the country, though the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) has not yet announced an official track.

The Caribbean region sits at the intersection of several major tectonic plates, the North American, South American, Cocos, and Nazca plates, creating one of the world’s most geologically complex zones, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).