Dominican Rep.: Risk of earthquakes

Event

According to the National Center for Seismology, a total of 654 earthquakes were reported in the Dominican Republic between January 1 and June 4. Of these, 25 were perceptible and the most powerful measured 4.9 on the Richter scale. The most recent, on June 3, had a magnitude of 4.7 and struck the northeast of the country, 24 km (15 mi) from Monte Plata.

Context

The Dominican Republic is situated along the same fault line that caused the catastrophic 2010 earthquake in neighboring Haiti, which left hundreds of thousands of people dead.

Advice

During an earthquake, protect your head from falling debris as best you can (e.g. under a table), move away from widows and exterior walls, and only attempt to evacuate if on the ground floor. After a major earthquake, check buildings for damage, including downed power lines or damaged gas lines, and evacuate until the building is declared safe.