2 moderate earthquakes in the coastal waters of Puerto Rico

Last update: January 14, 2012 at 4:01 am by By

Earthquake overview : 2 moderate shallow earthquakes occurred at 2 AM just off the western Puerto Rico coast. The earthquakes were also felt as weak shaking in the Dominican Republic.
“I Felt it” Reports –> see below + Let us know “how you felt this earthquake”
To read the full story as it happened, we advise our readers to start at the lower part of the page (earthquake data).

Keep this page open or return regularly as we will be back with more details when they become available

Felt reports from the greater epicenter area - image courtesy USGS

Update 13:48 UTC : The Red Sismica Puerto Rico is mentioning a max. VI MMI recorded in Mayaguez (strong shaking).  There are many reports of fallen objects like books, statues, hanging objects, etc. Many people mentioned a loud rumble.  The Agencia Estatal para el Manejo de Emergencias y Administración de Desastres (AEMEAD) reported that no serious damage has occurred.

Update : The earthquake was also felt in the Dominican Republic.

Update : Since the first quake a number of aftershocks have been registered and we expect more to come.

Update : NO damage has been reported so far. We will have to wait until daylight before this can be confirmed.

Update : Max. intensity as reported by people near the epicenter was V (moderate shaking).

Update :  The earthquakes were clearly felt by people living all over the island of Puerto Rico.

Update :P eople living at the western coast close to the epicenter had the impression that the quakes were more dangerous than measured.

Update : Luckily the epicenter was not below land, but approx. 20 km out in the Mona passage.

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“I Felt It” reports as received by Earthquake-Report.com
Puerto Rico : Un temblor con 2 replicas a las 210AM. Estaba durmiendo cuando empezo , temblo toda la cama bien fuerte y en eso sali corriendo de un segundo piso, cargando dos ninos que fue mas el susto.
Puerto Real : Se sintio la sacudoda bien fuerte, pero lo impresionante fue el ruido estruendoso como si estuvieran aplastando un vehiculo, ahh y como si hubiera sido en el patio de la casa.
Aguadilla : I was reading on the couch, and the couch and my entire house had light to maybe moderate shaking.
Mayaguez : I was frighten for the first time in my life by an earthquake. The first episode woke me up, the second I could like feel the waves, and hear my neighbors scream and shout our their fears. But luckily it was nothing to compare with Haiti’s and other earthquakes.
Carolina : Two were felt, the strongest of the two at 2 and the second about 2:05 am.
Aguada : Thought the house was breaking apart on the 5.3 quake. We are at Carr 4418, km 3.5 We started to leave the house. We are on the 2nd floor.
Arecibo : First shake at about 06.07 UT, followed up by a stronger shake at about 06.10 UT. We only recognized the first event because of rattling of our bedroom wardrobe sliding door. The second event was stronger and again the wardrobe door rattled, but this time we could feel mild movement of the ground too. No damage.
République Dominicaine : 02h05 craquement vec légère  secousse. 02h10 secousse plus forte durée environ 4 secondes.
Isabela : At 2:10 am local time a large shake was felt, after a few seconds a larger movement was felt. At 2:18 an after shock was felt smaller than the first.
Punta Cana (Republique Dominicaine) : leger craquement des meubles ,les chaises ont  cogné dans les vitres, sensation de deplacement lateral dans le lit.
Punta Cana (Republique Dominicaine) : Dans la nuit de vendredi à samedi, soit le 17 décembre 2011. Une première secousse s’est fait sentir à 2 h 11 a.m. et la deuxième à 2 h 14, trois minutes plus tard. Nous étions au Majestic Elegance resort de Punta Cana, au dernier étage d’un édifice de 4 étages. Difficile d’évaluer l’intensité des secousses et la durée, c’est toujours impressionnant et épeurant à la fois.  Marie Bouffard et Jean Royer, Sherbrooke Canada
Punta Cana (Republique Dominicaine) : La première secousse nous a réveillé et nous attendions la suivante… en espérant qu’elle soit aussi faible.  Nous étions au deuxième étage et nous avons entendu des bruits de vitre, probablement les bouteilles qui se cognaient contre elles dans le petit frigo de la chambre.  Heureusement, ça n’a pas duré longtemps et le lendemain, personne en parlait…??  Surprenant!!          Anne et André, Trois-Rivières, Québec, Canada

Most important Earthquake Data:
Magnitude : 5.3  (first one was 5.1)
UTC Time : Saturday, December 17, 2011 at 06:09:09 UTC  (first one 06:06)
Local time at epicenter : Saturday, December 17, 2011 at 02:09:09 AM at epicenter   (first one 02:06)
Depth (Hypocenter) : 17 km   (first one 14 km)
Geo-location(s) :
21 km (13 miles) SW (218°) from Stella, PR
22 km (14 miles) WNW (298°) from Puerto Real, PR
135 km (84 miles) WSW (255°) from SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico

Links to important maps
USGS Did You Feel It Map
Google satellite map showing the epicenter and the surrounding area
Historic earthquakes map
Seismic hazard map
QuakeSOS+ and QuakeSOS free are iPhone applications developed by Armand Vervaeck, the founder of Earthquake Report. The Application simplifies immediate group communication to friends and family members (with your exact GPS location) and is feeding the users with Earthquake Report news. The 0.99 US$ QuakeSOS+ version will support the activities of SOS Earthquakes.

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I felt it – Ik heb het gevoeld – Το έκανα αισθάνεται –Yo lo he sentido – 我的确感到了 – 私はそれを感じていました- Ich habe es gefühlt – Bunu hissediyorum yaptı – لم أشعر أنه

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Your Email address might help us if we request for additional details about your experience. This field is NOT mandatory. It is up to you to give it or not.
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People :
Felt by persons at rest, on upper floors or favorably placed.
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People :
Felt indoors; hanging objects may swing, vibration similar to passing of light trucks, duration may be estimated, may not be recognized as an earthquake.
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People :
Generally noticed indoors but not outside. Light sleepers may be awakened. Vibration may be likened to the passing of heavy traffic, or to the jolt of a heavy object falling or striking the building.
Fittings :
Doors and windows rattle. Glassware and crockery rattle. Liquids in open vessels may be slightly disturbed. Standing motorcars may rock.
Structures :
Walls and frames of buildings, and partitions and suspended ceilings in commercial buildings, may be heard to creak.
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People :
Generally felt outside, and by almost everyone indoors. Most sleepers awakened. A few people alarmed.
Fittings :
Small unstable objects are displaced or upset. Some glassware and crockery may be broken. Hanging pictures knock against the wall. Open doors may swing. Cupboard doors secured by magnetic catches may open. Pendulum clocks stop, start, or change rate.
Structures :
Some large display windows cracked. A few earthenware toilet fixtures cracked.
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People Felt by all. People and animals alarmed. Many run outside. Difficulty experienced in walking steadily.
Fittings :
Objects fall from shelves. Pictures fall from walls. Some furniture moved on smooth floors, some unsecured free-standing fireplaces moved. Glassware and crockery broken. Very unstable furniture overturned. Small church and school bells ring. Appliances move on bench or table tops. Filing cabinets or "easy glide" drawers may open (or shut).
Structures :
Slight damage to buildings with low standard. Some stucco or cement plaster falls. Large display windows broken. Damage to a few weak domestic chimneys, some may fall.
Environment :
Trees and bushes shake, or are heard to rustle. Loose material may be dislodged from sloping ground, e.g. existing slides, talus slopes, shingle slides.
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People
General alarm. Difficulty experienced in standing. Noticed by motorcar drivers who may stop.
Fittings :
Large bells ring. Furniture moves on smooth floors, may move on carpeted floors. Substantial damage to fragile contents of buildings.
Structures :
Unreinforced stone and brick walls cracked. Low standard buildings cracked with some minor masonry falls. A few instances of damage to buildings of ordinary workmanship. Unbraced parapets, unbraced brick gables, and architectural ornaments fall. Roofing tiles, especially ridge tiles may be dislodged. Many unreinforced domestic chimneys damaged, often falling from roof-line. Water tanks Type I burst. A few instances of damage to brick veneers and plaster or cement-based linings. Unrestrained water cylinders (hot-water cylinders) may move and leak. Some common windows cracked. Suspended ceilings damaged.
Environment :
Water made turbid by stirred up mud. Small slides such as falls of sand and gravel banks, and small rock-falls from steep slopes and cuttings. Instances of settlement of unconsolidated or wet, or weak soils. Some fine cracks appear in sloping ground. A few instances of liquefaction (i.e. small water and sand ejections).
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People Alarm may approach panic. Steering of motorcars greatly affected. Structures : Low standard buildings heavily damaged, some collapse. ordinary workmanship buildings damaged, some with partial collapse. Reinforced masonry or concrete buildings damaged in some cases. A few instances of damage to buildings and bridges designed and built to resist earthquakes. Monuments and pre-1976 elevated tanks and factory stacks twisted or brought down. Some pre-1965 infill masonry panels damaged. A few post-1980 brick veneers damaged. Decayed timber piles of houses damaged. Houses not secured to foundations may move. Most unreinforced domestic chimneys damaged, some below roof-line, many brought down. Environment : Cracks appear on steep slopes and in wet ground. Small to moderate slides in roadside cuttings and unsupported excavations. Small water and sand ejections and localized lateral spreading adjacent to streams, canals, lakes, etc.
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Structures Many low standard buildings destroyed. Ordinary workmanship buildings heavily damaged, some collapse. Reinforced masonry or concrete buildings damaged, some with partial collapse. Buildings and bridges designed and built to resist earthquakes damaged in some cases, some with flexible frames seriously damaged. Damage or permanent distortion to some buildings and bridges, designed and built to normal use standards. Houses not secured to foundations shifted off. Brick veneers fall and expose frames. Environment : Cracking of ground conspicuous. Landsliding general on steep slopes. Liquefaction effects intensified and more widespread, with large lateral spreading and flow sliding adjacent to streams, canals, lakes, etc.
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