Two earthquakes with magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5 struck northern Venezuela on Wednesday at 6:04and 7:12 p.m., respectively, and were felt in several areas of Puerto Rico. The National Meteorological Service (SNM) initially issued a tsunami warning for the Caribbean region, but canceled it at 7:20 p.m. after evaluating available data.
The Red Sísmica de Puerto Rico reported that the first earthquake occurred on land at a depth of 10 kilometers, while the second earthquake was recorded near the epicenter of the first. Director Víctor Huérfano Moreno explained that the event was strong enough to be felt in several Caribbean islands, including Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, triggering tsunami warning protocols.
Governor Jenniffer González also announced the cancellation of the tsunami warning in a video on her Facebook account, after initially warning of possible marine currents affecting Puerto Rico at 7:19 p.m.