Tsunami Alert Issued After Puerto Rico Earthquake

Island-wide power outage confirmed after 6.5 earthquake
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Jan 7, 2020 3:28 AM CST
6.5 Quake Hits Puerto Rico
Governor Wanda Vazquez inspect an earthquake-damaged house in Guanica, Puerto Rico, Monday, Jan. 6, 2020.   (AP Photo/Carlos Giusti)

A 6.5-magnitude earthquake struck Puerto Rico before dawn on Tuesday, the largest in a series of quakes that have struck the US territory in recent days and caused heavy damage in some areas. A tsunami alert was issued for Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. Puerto Rico's Electric Power Authority also reported an island-wide power outage. The US Geological Survey said the quake hit just south of the island at a shallow depth of 6.2 miles. It initially gave the magnitude as 6.6 but later adjusted it. There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage but the power outage made it hard to obtain information, the AP reports. A 5.8-magnitude quake that struck early Monday morning collapsed five homes in the southwest coastal town of Guanica and heavily damaged dozens of others. It also caused small landslides and power outages. (More Puerto Rico stories.)

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