Cuba: A magnitude-5.0 offshore earthquake occurs off the coast of Santiago de Cuba Province at around 10:50 Oct. 17

A magnitude-5.0 earthquake occurred in the Caribbean Sea off the coast of Santiago de Cuba Province in southeastern Cuba at around 10:50 CDT Oct. 17. The epicenter was about 36 km (22 miles) south of Santiago de Cuba. The tremor occurred at a depth of about 18 km (11 miles), and light shaking was probably felt throughout parts of eastern Cuba, eastern and northern Jamaica, and far western Haiti. There have been no initial reports of damage or casualties as a result of the earthquake; however, significant damage is unlikely. It could take several hours until authorities can conduct comprehensive damage assessments, especially in remote areas. Light aftershocks are likely over the coming days. The event has not prompted any tsunami advisories.

Officials may temporarily shut down transportation infrastructure in the tremor zone to check for damage. Minor disruptions could occur during shutdowns, but service will likely resume quickly if no damage is found. Utility outages are possible, particularly near the earthquake's epicenter.