Thursday, March 17th 2011- Two earthquakes were reportedly felt in the Virgin Islands yesterday. The first one which occurred at approximately 9:42 am measured a magnitude of 5.3 on the Richter Scale was felt throughout Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and the eastern side of Dominican Republic. The report indicated that the epicenter was located near 19.03 north latitude and 67.92 west longitude, or 127.7 KM Northwest of Mayaguez, Puerto Rico at a depth of 56 kilometers.
The second quake was reported at 7:04pm and measured a magnitude of 3.81 on the Richter scale which was felt in San Juan and Isabela, Puerto Rico. The report indicated that the epicenter was located near 19.48 north latitude and 65.34 west longitude, or 144.1 KM Northeast of San Juan, Puerto Rico at a depth of 56 kilometers.
The DDM takes this time to remind the BVI community that we live in a seismically active zone, which makes the Territory vulnerable to earthquakes. During an earthquake it is important to stay calm, if you are inside stay there, move away from ceiling fans, glass windows and doors or anything that may fall. Get under a desk or sturdy piece of furniture, cover your head and hold on. If outdoors, move into an open area away from trees, buildings or utility wires and poles. During an earthquake, the more you move, the more likely you are to be hurt, so refrain from entering or exiting a building at the time of impact.
Persons can contact the DDM at 468-4200 for further information on this earthquake or any other earthquakes that may have been felt.
