At 1:12 am local time this morning, a 5.0 Magnitude earthquake occurred 47 miles east south east of East End, Grand Cayman.

The Department of Public Safety Communications 911 (DPSC) is the after-hours focal point for major incidents and contacts Hazard Management Cayman Islands to activate the National Emergency Operations Centre if required. DPSC received no reports of damage or injuries, only one felt report was received and no tsunami notification was issued for this event from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.

The threshold to issue an immediate public notification is at least three felt reports, a report of damage to a structure, or an earthquake measuring 6.0 or above in our region. A Magnitude 6.0 earthquake is ten times the strength of the 5.0 tremor this morning.

The earthquake this morning did not meet this threshold.

The Cayman Islands is located close to the boundary line of the Caribbean and North American plates and small earthquakes are relatively common. As this morning’s tremor posed no threat to life or property, the National Emergency Notification System (NENS) was not activated to alert the public. The purpose of NENS is to advise the public of immediate actions they should take in the event of a major emergency.

Should residents feel an earthquake they are encouraged to call 911 to generate a felt report. For information about how to prepare or respond to an earthquake, or to arrange for a hazard awareness presentation, please visit the Cayman Prepared website or call HMCI on 945-4624.