7.7 earthquake strikes between Cuba, Jamaica

A powerful magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck in the Caribbean Sea between Jamaica and eastern Cuba on Tuesday, shaking a vast area from Mexico to Florida and beyond, but there were no reports of casualties or heavy damage.

The quake was centered 86 miles northwest of Montego Bay, Jamaica, and 87 miles west-southwest of Niquero, Cuba, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. It hit at 2:10 p.m., and the epicenter was a relatively shallow 6 miles beneath the surface.

Dr. Enrique Arango Arias, head of Cuba’s National Seismological Service, told state media there had been no serious damage or injuries reported.

Gov. Carlos Joaquín González of Mexico’s Quintana Roo — which is home to Cancun, Tulum and other popular beach resorts — said the earthquake was felt in multiple parts of the lowlying Caribbean state but there were no early reports of damage or injuries.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center initially warned that the quake could generate waves 1 to 3 feet above normal in Cuba, Jamaica, the Cayman Islands, Honduras, Mexico and Belize, but issued a later message saying the danger had passed.

The initial tremor was followed by strong aftershocks, including one measured at magnitude 6.1.

The quake was felt strongly in Santiago, the largest city in eastern Cuba, said Belkis Guerrero, who works in a Roman Catholic cultural center in the center of Santiago. “We were all sitting and we felt the chairs move,” she said. “We heard the noise of everything moving around.”

She said there was no apparent damage in the heart of the colonial city.

“It felt very strong, but it doesn’t look like anything happened,’’ she added.

It was also felt a little farther east at the U.S. Navy base at Guantanamo Bay, on the southeastern coast of Cuba. There were no reports of injuries or damages, said J. Overton, a spokesman for the installation, which has a total population of about 6,000 people.

Several South Florida buildings were evacuated as a precaution, according to city of Miami and MiamiDade County officials. No injuries or road closures were reported. No shaking was felt at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, which will host the Super Bowl on Sunday.

The quake also hit the Cayman Islands, leaving cracked roads and what appeared to be sewage spilling from cracked mains. There were no immediate reports of deaths, injuries or more severe damage, said Kevin Morales, editor in chief of the Cayman Compass newspaper.

The islands get so few earthquakes that newsroom staff members were puzzled when it hit, he said.

“It was like a big dump truck was rolling past,” Morales said. “Then it continued and got more intense.”