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| 4.8-Magnitude Earthquake Rattles Puerto Rico | 4.8-Magnitude Earthquake Rattles Puerto Rico |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| A 4.8-magnitude earthquake shook southern Puerto Rico late on Thursday, leaving aftershocks in a region that has been rattled by clusters of earthquakes and tremors since late last year. | A 4.8-magnitude earthquake shook southern Puerto Rico late on Thursday, leaving aftershocks in a region that has been rattled by clusters of earthquakes and tremors since late last year. |
| There were no immediate reports of casualties or widespread damage from the earthquake, which was seven miles deep, off the coast of Guayanilla and just over a mile from Magas Arriba, a suburb of Ponce, the United States Geological Survey said. | There were no immediate reports of casualties or widespread damage from the earthquake, which was seven miles deep, off the coast of Guayanilla and just over a mile from Magas Arriba, a suburb of Ponce, the United States Geological Survey said. |
| “It was felt everywhere,” Victor Huerfano, the director of the island’s seismic network, told The Associated Press. | “It was felt everywhere,” Victor Huerfano, the director of the island’s seismic network, told The Associated Press. |
| It was one of the strongest to hit the coastal area, where a series of tremors measuring about the same strength or greater had rolled through since late last year, clustered a few miles offshore. | It was one of the strongest to hit the coastal area, where a series of tremors measuring about the same strength or greater had rolled through since late last year, clustered a few miles offshore. |
| Tremors of 4.7, 5.0 and 4.7 magnitude rocked the island during the night of Dec. 28, and continued for weeks. On Jan. 6, a 5.8-magnitude earthquake shook southwestern Puerto Rico, followed by a 6.4-magnitude earthquake days later. On May 2, a 5.4-magnitude earthquake struck about four miles offshore of Tallaboa, the U.S.G.S. said. | Tremors of 4.7, 5.0 and 4.7 magnitude rocked the island during the night of Dec. 28, and continued for weeks. On Jan. 6, a 5.8-magnitude earthquake shook southwestern Puerto Rico, followed by a 6.4-magnitude earthquake days later. On May 2, a 5.4-magnitude earthquake struck about four miles offshore of Tallaboa, the U.S.G.S. said. |
| “This is part of the ongoing sequences that started in late December,” Elizabeth Vanacore, a seismologist with the Puerto Rico Seismic Network, said on Friday. “We started having events on an offshore portion of the Punta Montalva fault.” | “This is part of the ongoing sequences that started in late December,” Elizabeth Vanacore, a seismologist with the Puerto Rico Seismic Network, said on Friday. “We started having events on an offshore portion of the Punta Montalva fault.” |
| She said the earthquake was part of a sequence that has rumbled through adjacent faults in the Puerto Rico zone, similar to how balls on a billiards table collide into other balls and send them rolling in all directions. It began with the earthquake in December, she said. | She said the earthquake was part of a sequence that has rumbled through adjacent faults in the Puerto Rico zone, similar to how balls on a billiards table collide into other balls and send them rolling in all directions. It began with the earthquake in December, she said. |
| “Essentially that is the cue stick,” she said, and its consequences were “what we are seeing.” She called Thursday’s seismic event “a moderate aftershock.” | “Essentially that is the cue stick,” she said, and its consequences were “what we are seeing.” She called Thursday’s seismic event “a moderate aftershock.” |
| The U.S.G.S. estimated in a report released in January that aftershocks from the 6.4-magnitude earthquake that month would persist for “years to decades.” | The U.S.G.S. estimated in a report released in January that aftershocks from the 6.4-magnitude earthquake that month would persist for “years to decades.” |
| The relentless seismic activity has added another unsettling element to life on the island, where longstanding economic problems and natural disasters have slammed residents one after another. | The relentless seismic activity has added another unsettling element to life on the island, where longstanding economic problems and natural disasters have slammed residents one after another. |
| In 2017, the island was hit by Hurricane Maria, pushing it to the brink of a humanitarian crisis. The same year, its government went bankrupt. | In 2017, the island was hit by Hurricane Maria, pushing it to the brink of a humanitarian crisis. The same year, its government went bankrupt. |
| While the economy has since been inching toward recovery, the setbacks have continued to come in waves. The earthquakes in January left thousands of people living in temporary housing, shelters, vehicles or tents for months, and the coronavirus pandemic has been another setback. | While the economy has since been inching toward recovery, the setbacks have continued to come in waves. The earthquakes in January left thousands of people living in temporary housing, shelters, vehicles or tents for months, and the coronavirus pandemic has been another setback. |
| The earthquake on Thursday — one of many, though not one of the largest — came about a week after Tropical Storm Isaias swept through the Caribbean, causing flooding and landslides in Puerto Rico. | The earthquake on Thursday — one of many, though not one of the largest — came about a week after Tropical Storm Isaias swept through the Caribbean, causing flooding and landslides in Puerto Rico. |
| Dr. Vanacore, an associate research professor at University of Puerto Rico, which hosts the Seismic Network, said there had been thousands of aftershocks confirmed so far this year, about 100 of them with a magnitude of 4.0 or greater. | |
| “With this sequence on the shoreline or underneath the towns people are being impacted,” she said. “They constantly are feeling the earthquakes.” | “With this sequence on the shoreline or underneath the towns people are being impacted,” she said. “They constantly are feeling the earthquakes.” |