E-Paper
Drake Passage earthquake: NWS addresses tsunami fears in Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands
A earthquake hit the Drake Passage region on Thursday. The National Tsunami Warning Center addressed tsunami concerns in the Puerto Rico-Virgin Islands region.
A massive earthquake hit the Drake Passage region on Thursday. The National Tsunami Warning Center addressed tsunami concerns in the Puerto Rico-Virgin Islands region. According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the earthquake was of 7.5 magnitude. The Drake Passage is located between the southern tip of South America and Antarctica.
The quake was at a depth of 10 km (6.21 miles) the USGS said.
The agency's website stated that there is no active threat or warning at the moment.
In May, a major tsunami warning was issued after a 7.4 magnitude earthquake hit the southern coast of Chile. "We call for evacuation of the coastline throughout the Magallanes region," Chilean President Gabriel Boric said at the time.
"At this time, our duty is to be prepared and heed the authorities. Regional and national COGRID (Cogrid of the Nationwide Risk Management System) is underway. All state resources are available," he added.
40-foot waves in Drake Passage
In April, a video of a 40-foot wave hitting a luxury ship in the Drake Passage surfaced. A passenger, who was on the vessel, captured the clip and posted it on social media.
She wrote, “Imagine if you signed up for a 48-hour rollercoaster. I am proud to say we survived not one but two Drake Shakes. If you are lucky, you get the Drake Lake. If you are like us, you get the Drake Shake with 35 ft waves. Yes, we were safe and it was insane…and at times, even fun? 1000 percent worth it for this trip of a lifetime!”
“We were told to stay in our cabins for an entire afternoon yesterday, and there were definitely some silver linings amongst this whole ordeal. We got some downtime, we laughed a lot, I processed some of this amazing voyage, I FaceTimed my girls, and I learned that wildly enough…I do not get seasick!" she added.
