It’s been a rough year for Cuba. The island nation has suffered through a series of powerful storms, including two recent hurricanes that knocked out its power grid. And now, Cuba was hit with a 6.8 magnitude earthquake just off its southern coast Sunday, near the town of Bartolomé Masó in Granma Province.
Preceded by a 5.9-magnitude tremor about an hour before the full quake hit, the earthquake caused damage throughout the eastern regions of the nation, including Santiago de Cuba, Guantánamo, and Holguín.
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The tremors were felt all across the country, including some parts of South Florida. Thankfully, no tsunami warning was issued, but the quake did damage many homes, downed some power lines, and caused a few landslides.
Remarkably, there were no immediate reports of fatalities or even serious injuries, though that is subject to change as President Miguel Díaz-Canel launches recovery efforts with a special emphasis on saving the lives of anyone who may be in immediate danger.
Cuba has been experiencing widespread power outages after hurricane Rafael slammed into the western half of the country on Wednesday, and that’s after hurricane Oscar wrecked Cuba in October, causing significant damage to infrastructure and causing several fatalities. All of this is against the backdrop of the nation’s energy crisis resulting in frequent blackouts.
