Miami-Dade County

An earthquake in Cuba shook chandeliers and blinds in Miami hundreds of miles away

View of the downtown Miami skyline from Watson Island, on Wednesday July 31, 2024.
View of the downtown Miami skyline from Watson Island, on Wednesday July 31, 2024. pportal@miamiherald.com

When earthquakes shook Cuba on Sunday, a few people in Miami felt them.

Social media users quickly shared videos showing the local effects of the earthquake, but a city of Miami spokeswoman stated on Monday that there was “nothing of concern” to report regarding damages or injuries.

Kenia Fallat, a spokeswoman for the city of Miami, said Miami Fire Rescue responded to three calls about the earthquake on Sunday: one downtown, and two in the Brickell area. The people who called were worried about potential danger, but there were no reported injuries.

“Nothing of concern,” Fallat said.

To quell any panic, the city put out a statement yesterday informing residents that the U.S. Geological Survey did not detect any earthquakes or aftershocks in South Florida and that “there is no cause for alarm.”

Fallat said the city is aware of videos posted to social media depicting tremors, but that the city could not verify the authenticity of those videos.

Dara Goldberg of the U.S. Geological Survey told the Miami Herald that while shaking at such a far distance could be a coincidence, there are instances in which shaking could possibly be felt far away by a small group of people.

“For example, people in tall buildings may feel the sway of seismic waves while people out on the street may not feel anything,” she said via email.

The social media videos from residents in communities across Miami show the effects of the tremors — slowly swinging shades and a chandelier in coastal high rises.

At 12:07 p.m. Sunday, Miami meteorologist Jeff Van Fleet shared a user in Edgewater’s video showing a light shaking moments after the 6.5 magnitude earthquake occurred.

This story was originally published November 11, 2024 at 3:05 PM.

Michael Butler
Miami Herald
Michael Butler writes about minority business and trends that affect marginalized professionals in South Florida. As a business reporter for the Miami Herald, he tells inclusive stories that reflect South Florida’s diversity. Just like Miami’s diverse population, Butler, a Temple University graduate, has both local roots and a Panamanian heritage.
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