Rare Earthquake in Cuba Felt as Far as Florida Coast - East Idaho News
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Rare Earthquake in Cuba Felt as Far as Florida Coast

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GETTY 010914 CubaMap?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1389331989362iStock/Thinkstock(HAVANA, Cuba) — A 5.1-magnitude earthquake off Cuba Thursday afternoon reportedly swayed buildings in Havana and gave some Floridians a jolt.  The quake could be felt on various islands in the Florida Keys as well as Fort Myers and other areas along the southwest coast.

The quake struck roughly 16 miles northwest of Corralillo, Cuba, about 106 miles east of Havana, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

“I don’t know the specific effects that people experienced,” John Bellini of the USGS told ABC News Radio, “but generally something that size far away would be felt as a vibration or a booming noise — probably just a vibration or a jolt.”

Bellini said quakes in that region are not common.

He warned that people there may experience aftershocks, though he doesn’t expect them to be larger than Thursday’s earthquake.

Copyright 2014 ABC News Radio

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