Minor Quakes Rattle Eastern Jamaica; No Damage Reported

Two minor earthquakes struck eastern Jamaica this week, rattling residents but causing no injuries or structural damage, according to the University of the West Indies (UWI) Earthquake Unit.

The stronger tremor, a magnitude-3.6 event, occurred at 3:47 a.m. local time Wednesday near Gordon Town, approximately 5 kilometers (3 miles) northeast of the community. Its focal depth was 17 kilometers (10 miles). Residents in Kingston and St. Andrew reported feeling the shake.

It followed a magnitude-3.2 quake Monday morning near Hope Bay in Portland parish, with a focal depth of 21 kilometers (13 miles). That event was felt across parts of northeastern Jamaica.

Both quakes occurred within Jamaica’s seismically active eastern belt, where the Caribbean and Gonâve microplates interact. While rarely destructive at these magnitudes, such events serve as reminders of the island’s vulnerability to larger seismic activity.

Jamaica’s last major earthquake, a magnitude-6.2 event, struck Kingston in 2020.

Authorities confirmed no emergency response was required for either incident. The UWI Earthquake Unit continues to monitor regional seismicity.