When earthquakes struck Cuba on Sunday, some people in Miami felt them. Social media users quickly shared videos showing the local effects of the quake, but a spokeswoman for the city of Miami said Monday that there was “nothing to worry about” in terms of damage or injuries.
Kenia Fallat, a spokeswoman for the city of Miami, said the Miami Fire Department responded to three calls about the earthquake on Sunday: one in downtown and two in the Brickell area. Callers were concerned about possible danger, but no injuries were reported. “There is nothing to worry about,” she said.
To calm any panic, the city issued a statement informing residents that the U.S. Geological Survey detected no earthquakes or aftershocks in South Florida and that “there is no cause for alarm.”
Fallat said the city is aware of videos posted on social media showing the tremors, but said the authenticity of those videos has not yet been verified.
Dara Goldberg of the U.S. Geological Survey told NBC6 South Florida that while there have been about 24 earthquakes of magnitude 5.5 or higher in Cuba in recent history, this past weekend’s activity is not significant. “That doesn’t mean it’s such a common occurrence that people who experience it feel like it’s a regular occurrence,” she said.
Videos on social media from residents in Miami communities show the effects of the tremors: blinds moving slowly and a chandelier swaying on high-rise buildings on the waterfront.
At 12:07 p.m. Sunday, Miami meteorologist Jeff Van Fleet shared a video from a user in Edgewater showing mild shaking moments after the magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck.
