‘The longest ever’: Jamaicans react after quake rattles island
KINGSTON, Jamaica – Jamaicans reacted with shock to Saturday morning’s strong earthquake that shook sections of the island, with some describing the tremor as “the longest ever”.
The Earthquake Unit of the University of the West Indies has yet to confirm the magnitude of the quake, but the United States Geological Survey (USGS) said initially preliminary reports are that “an approximately 7.0 magnitude earthquake” hit near Haiti at 7:29am.
That magnitude has since been updated to 7.2 by the USGS, who also reported that the quake hit along the Enriquillo–Plantain Garden Fault which runs through Haiti and Jamaica.
Jamaicans took to social media platforms, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, to document their experiences of the earthquake.
On Facebook, Patricia Martin commented,
“Longest [earthquake] ever felt. Literally saw my house moving and doors swinging.”
For Kenesha McLean, “It was very heavy and long. I was just calling Jesus Jesus Jesus.”
Instagram user, enchanted._.beauty, confirmed that she felt the earthquake in the north eastern parish of Portland.
“Yeah Portland. Mi wake up,” she responded to a question on whether she had felt the tremour.
Likewise, Instagrammer, Terryphillips, confirmed feeling the earthquake, but this time in St Catherine.
“Portmore… [Earthquake] was moving bro,” she wrote.
Meanwhile, journalists and attorney-at-law Emily Shields tweeted, “Way too long for my comfort #Earthquake.”
Replying to Shield’s tweet, @NikonChronicles wrote, “The couch was dancing with me, I almost flipped it over my head, it was that long I felt as if the house was about to crack.”
Twitter user, @love_derry said she felt the earthquake in the Kingston 20 area.
“That was a proper shake, took me right out of my sleep,” she tweeted.
Politician, Julian Robinson tweeted: “That’s the longest shake I have ever felt.”
Human Rights Activist Susan Goffe, in replying to Robinson said, “Yes, I usually pause and wait to see if the quake is continuing. Usually it’s a short, sharp jerk. This one rolled and swayed for what felt like a loooong time.”
There has been no reports of damage in Jamaica as a result of the earthquake.
