Earthquake strikes Jamaica; shaking felt across island

A magnitude 5.0 earthquake struck off the coast of Jamaica, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). Shaking was felt across the island.

The earthquake struck at about 3:18 a.m. local time and was centered at sea, about 84.9 kilometers (52.8 miles) northeast of Manchioneal and 139.4 kilometers (86.6 miles) east of Kingston, the USGS reported. The quake occurred at a depth of 10 kilometers (6.2 miles).

There was no indication that a tsunami had been triggered. The U.S. National Tsunami Warning Center (NTWC), which issues alerts for the Caribbean, did not issue any warnings following the earthquake.

Residents across Jamaica reported feeling the shaking, with multiple accounts of people waking up as the earthquake struck. Some reports said the shaking rattled windows and lasted several seconds.

“That earthquake felt like I was on a boat,” one resident wrote on social media.

Jamaica lies along the boundary between the Caribbean and North American tectonic plates and experiences frequent seismic activity, including occasional strong earthquakes.