Tremor shakes up Cayman

| 12/02/2010

(CNS): Hazard Management have now confirmed details of this morning’s earth quake, the second in the Cayman region in a month. Officials said Grand Cayman experienced a minor earth tremor of 3.7 at around 2.45 am on Friday 12 February. The seismic event occurred some 30 miles south of George Town at a depth of 10KMs. Despite reports from residents that they had felt a tremor in the early hours of the morning, officials said they struggled to source exact details of the latest regional quake.  Although HMCI took proactive steps to follow up on the first inquiry it received, it said that it took some time to confirm the earthquake.

HMCI also stated that at no time did the tremor pose a threat to the residents of the Cayman Islands.

The agency said it received one inquiry from a member of the public who believed they felt the event and HCMI subsequently investigated that report. “Accurate information regarding the tremor was initially limited; however HMCI was able to get an early confirmation from the University of the West Indies, Jamaica Earthquake Unit that there was indeed a tremor and they provided a preliminary report,” the government agency said. The information was not posted on the USGS site until Friday evening.

The initial details received by HMCI and those which CNS was also able to track were that the quake was magnitude 4.7 at a depth of 15 kilometres along the Cayman Ridge area at 19.253 N and 81.263W.  USGS subsequently posted the event just after 4.09 pm with a revised magnitude of 3.7 and a depth of 10 km 30 miles south of George Town, Cayman Islands.

HMCI said that Cayman is located in an active seismic area and encouraged the public to continue their earthquake preparedness activities throughout the year.

This morning’s earth tremor follows a significant 5.9 magnitude earthquake which hit Grand Cayman on Tuesday, 19 January, 32 miles south of Bodden Town a little after 9:20am at a depth of just over 6 miles.

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  1. Anonymous says:

    Earthquake preparedness fuels people’s paranoia of undesirable and uncontrolable death scenarios.  What a wasteful and horrible way to live your days.  Know that this whole island could cleave off into the sea without warning, just as we could already be obliterated by a supernova from 400 years ago, or a meteor 10 minutes from now.  Just relax and live your life as well as you can and put your faith and energy into things you can manage. 

  2. Wonderful says:

    Isn’t it amazing how a tiny tremor nobody noticed has turned into a bitter UDP/PPM debate?  From the outside there is no appreciable political difference between the two parties and neither of them are staffed by enough quality people to lead the country properly. 

    • Anonymous says:

      I must have missed the "bitter UDP/PPM debate". Were you referring to a different thread? 

  3. Anonymous says:

    its just a sign, the lord is coming and might be in the middle of the night, when we are all asleep so be prepared.

    • Blasphemizin' says:

      No, relax! We are safe from the Lord’s wrath for the time being. I read the entrails of a bird yesterday and they indicated we are okay for awhile.  

  4. Earth Mover says:

    Please don’t let my girlfriend see this story, she still thinks it was me that made the earth move for her that night.

  5. Anonymous says:

    Its time to move to Cayman Brac where it is safer from earthquakes, high water, and  crime.

  6. Pathetic says:

    For the poster of the quote below  – "It is totally unacceptable for any government body to decide not to issue a statement on something so important."  Have you any idea how insignificant a 3.7 earthquake is?  Do you understand the Richter scale is a logarithmic scale?  

    Stop being so needy and childlike!

  7. Anonymous says:

    ‘Tremor shakes up Cayman’ seems a little sensational.  Especially since HCMI had only one report of someone who felt it.  Perhaps a better headline would have been something like ‘Minor tremor south of Grand Cayman’.  Just a thought.

  8. Anonymous says:

    Why did it took so long for the Government to announced it to the Public?  Is this one of those SHUT UPs again from McKeeva, we cannot let the potential investors know we are in danger to Earthquakes and Hurricanes.  If it is made Public, the rich men will not come with their millions….What about the people of the Cayman islands, don’t we deserve to know?  Politricking!!!

  9. Anonymous says:

    Cayman need to be well prepared for the big one that is due,

  10. Anonymous says:

    Sorry to disappoint, but the rumbling and smell was my fault… it must have been the beans. 

    • Anonymous says:

      Why the thumbs down, that was funny

      • Karl Marx-Ebanks says:

        A possible reason for the "thumbs down" was that some posters believe that earthquakes are caused by "God" and therefore a) you were posing as "God" and b) implying that God let one rip.  Thumbs up for that post in my book!

  11. Anonymous says:

    It is totally unacceptable for any government body to decide not to issue a statement on something so important.

    As a resident of these islands I find myself feeing insulted by our government on a daily basis by the things that they decide they can and cannot do without reference to us the people. It is unbelievable, even matters that could impact my personal choices for safety … unfreakingbelievable!

  12. EastSider says:

    Earthquake Details

    Magnitude 3.7
    Date-Time
    Location 18.863°N, 81.404°W
    Depth 10 km (6.2 miles) set by location program
    Region CAYMAN ISLANDS REGION
    Distances 50 km (30 miles) S of GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands
    310 km (195 miles) ENE of Swan Island
    375 km (235 miles) SSW of Cienfuegos, Cuba
    775 km (480 miles) S of Miami, Florida
    Location Uncertainty horizontal +/- 10.2 km (6.3 miles); depth fixed by location program
    Parameters NST= 16, Nph= 16, Dmin=414.7 km, Rmss=1.13 sec, Gp= 86°,
    M-type=body wave magnitude (Mb), Version=6
    Source
    • USGS NEIC (WDCS-D)
    Event ID us2010sqa9

     

    • Down to Earth says:

      Caymans 2 biggest "earthquakes" have been the recent news of the $1million sale of Permanent residency and the proposed sale of the New Government Bldg.

      Cayman will never recover from these 2 disasters!

      • Anonymous says:

        HEY…DOWN TO EARTH….XXXXXX. It is people like you ONCE AGAIN that spreads rumors and give info you do not even have correct and cause all sorts of stir. 

        For your information….  THERE IS NO SALE of the New Government Building you idiot.   They are trying to sell the OLD Glass House or current Administrative Building for once they move out.   So get your information correct next time before you open your big mouth!!  Stupid Caymanian like yaself makes the rest of us look ignorant. 

        • Anonymous says:

          Actually 14:39 – it is the new GOAP building.  No need to be so offensive when your own facts are wrong.  This is a quote from the article in 12th Feb Compass:

          "In this year’s budget, government is anticipating a $70 million cash influx from the sale of the government office accommodation project, now under construction on Elgin Avenue in George Town,"

          There really was no need for name calling.

        • Anonymous says:

          Actually, it is you who is making us look ignorant. The New Govt. Admin Bldg is indeed up for sale as reported in the Compass and here on CNS.

  13. Anonymous says:

    USGS has the magnitude at 3.7 and the depth of 10km.

    CNS: I just spoke to the Jamaican Earthquake Unit, who confirmed the details here. I’ll update if we get new information.

  14. Anonymous says:

    I smell a Mac…

    • CAY says:

      You and your family might be the only ones tosmell and feel the next big one……you silly bump head!!!

    • Anonymous says:

      Give God the praises. We could have all been dead in our sleep. Take nothing for granted we are living in a world where various things could have happen to us even while we sometimes turn up our noses at happenings in other parts of the world. May these things draw us closer to God and our fellow men