5.8 temblor starts series of quakes in Puerto Rico
Many left homeless, but no casualties reported
GUÁNICA, Puerto Rico – A 5.8 magnitude earthquake hit Puerto Rico before dawn Monday, unleashing small landslides, causing power outages and severely cracking some homes. It was one of the strongest quakes to hit the U.S. territory that has been shaking for the past week.
There were no immediate reports of casualties.
The quake was followed by a string of smaller temblors, including another quake measured at magnitude 5 that struck later, at 10:51 a.m. Monday, shaking power lines and frightening residents of southern Puerto Rico who had been waiting outside their homes due to fears the buildings were damaged and unstable.
The first quake struck at 6:32 a.m. just south of the island at a relatively shallow depth of 6 miles, according to the U.S. Geological Service. There was no tsunami threat, officials said.
In the southern town of Guánica, Mayor Santos Seda told the AP that five homes collapsed, but only one of them was inhabited. No injuries had been reported.
Another 29 homes were heavily damaged, he said.
Helicopters buzzed overhead, and terrified residents jumped up from their folding chairs every time the earth shook, yelling at others to stay away from power lines.
Few people dared go back inside their homes, but José Quiñones, 54, had no choice. His 80-year-old mother has heart problems and was lying in bed.
Dozens of people in the Hope neighborhood of Guánica walked around with their phones and yelled out the magnitude of the latest earthquakes as they tried to calm children who were forced to open their presents on Three Kings Day, a religious holiday, on streets and sidewalks.
“This is hell,” said Alberto Rodríguez, 43, whose home collapsed on its side as the smell of gas filled the air. “We haven’t slept . ... You can’t remain calm here. Guánica is no longer a safe place.”
Less than a block away, Silvestre Alicea surveyed his home, whose foundation collapsed on his bright blue 1977 Toyota Corolla, a prized possession.
He had jumped from his balcony as the home crumbled.
Alicea had lived in New York for years until he retired to Guánica two years ago to live in the home he spent 15 years building. He said he has no insurance.
In this working class neighborhood, people sought shelter from a harsh sun, careful to stay away from homes whose foundations were heavily cracked.
Some like Noelia De Jesús, 69, and her husband, who uses a wheelchair, didn’t know where they would spend the night. Government officials who inspected their home earlier in the morning said it was unsafe and advised them to stay elsewhere.
“Everything broke, including the TV,” she said. “This is horrible.”
Puerto Rico doesn’t have a public earthquake warning system, except for sirens that are supposed to ring in case of a tsunami. Residents in this neighborhood criticized the government for what they believe is a lack of action.