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WEATHER ALERT

EARTHQUAKE

Large earthquake off Alaska prompts tsunami fears, fleeing

Wailing sirens prompted residents to seek higher ground in communities along Alaska’s southern coast after a reported 7.5 magnitude earthquake that shook buildings triggered a tsunami warning Monday. Patrick Mayer, superintendent of the Aleutians East Borough School District, said parents picked up children from Sand Point School, which also served an evacuation point. It was centered about 67 miles (118 kilometers) southeast of Sand Point, according to the Alaska Earthquake Center. The National Tsunami Warning Center in Palmer, Alaska, said the tsunami warning was in effect for roughly 950 miles (1,529 kilometers), from 40 miles (64 kilometers) southeast of Homer to Unimak Pass, about 80 miles (129 km) northeast of Unalaska. “It was a pretty good shaker here,” said David Adams, co-manager of Marine View Bed and Breakfast in Sand Point.

‘Everything started shaking': 5.1 magnitude earthquake near NC/VA border sends shockwaves across the East Coast

SPARTA, N.C. – The United States Geologic Survey (USGS) reports a 5.1 magnitude earthquake struck Sparta, North Carolina at 8:07 a.m. Sunday morning. There was a 5.2 magnitude earthquake reported near Skyland, NC in 1916. It went on for 10 seconds before it stopped.”The seismograph at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg recorded the earthquake’s shaking. Sunday morning seismograph showing Sunday's earthquake (Virginia Tech)Once the shaking commenced, residents in Sparta witnessed the remnants of the earthquake’s force. If you’d like to learn more about earthquakes in Virginia, the Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy has a great resource.

Powerful earthquake shakes southern Mexico, at least 2 dead

MEXICO CITY – A powerful earthquake centered near the southern Mexico resort of Huatulco killed at least two people, swayed buildings in Mexico City and sent thousands fleeing into the streets. Mexico President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said one person was killed and another injured in a building collapse in Huatulco, Oaxaca. Helicopters flew over downtown Mexico City and police patrols sounded their sirens. Inside a Mexico City military barracks converted to COVID-19 hospital, medical staff suited in protective equipment tried to calm anxious patients. __Associated Press writers Chris Torchia in Mexico City and Seth Borenstein in Washington contributed to this report.

Magnitude 7.7 earthquake strikes off the coast of Jamaica

HAVANA, Cuba – A powerful magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck in the Caribbean Sea between Jamaica and eastern Cuba on Tuesday, shaking a vast area from Mexico to Florida and beyond, but there were no immediate reports of casualties or heavy damage. The quake was centered 139 kilometers (86 miles) northwest of Montego Bay, Jamaica, and 140 kilometers (87 miles) west-southwest of Niquero, Cuba, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. It hit at 2:10 p.m. (1910 GMT) and the epicenter was a relatively shallow 10 kilometers (6 miles) beneath the surface. The quake also hit the Cayman Islands, leaving cracked roads and what appeared to be sewage spilling from cracked mains. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said the quake could generate waves 1 to 3 feet above normal in Cuba, Jamaica, the Cayman Islands, Honduras, Mexico and Belize.

At least 18 dead, hundreds hurt as quake hits eastern Turkey

TV footage showed rescuers pull out one injured person from the rubble of a collapsed building in the district of Gezin, in the eastern Elazig province. Around 30 were believed to be trapped inside collapsed structures in Elazig province, Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said. A video take at the scene shows residents running after the quake hit and emergency vehicles near a damaged building. Some 30 buildings had collapsed from the quake in the two provinces, according to Murat Kurum, the environment minister. Interior Minister Soylu was at a meeting on earthquake preparedness when the quake struck.

More harm than good: Compassion is noble, but what does Haiti really need, 10 years after quake?

“Deep down, I know there was an element of trying to get a pat on the back,” Albert said. “That’s when they completely blew me away with their response.”What the community leaders essentially told Albert and Zelaya was this: Thanks for your efforts and compassion, but you actually did more harm than good. The experience was such an eye-opener that it led Albert and Zelaya to a greater purpose and mission. “That goes back to the negative aid that is undermining the natural development of the Haitian people,” Albert said. The two discovered that nearly 80% of Haitian teachers haven’t been properly trained, and 60% of kids dropped out of classes during elementary school.