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Major Earthquake hits Costa Rica

spacejamz

Lifer
Caribbean is under tsunami watch right now...I am house sitting for a friend who is in St Martin right now...

Updated at 11:30 a.m. ET: A major earthquake hit northwestern Costa Rica on Wednesday, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

The quake -- initially given a magnitude of 7.9 but then revised to 7.6 -- struck at 10:42 a.m. ET at a depth of about 25 miles and about seven miles southeast of Nicoya, a town of some 15,000 people on a coastal area on the Pacific about 90 miles from the capital San Jose.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said a tsunami warning was in effect for Costa Rica, Panama, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras, Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala and Peru. A tsunami watch notice was issued for Chile.

"It is not known that a tsunami was generated. This warning is based only on the earthquake evaluation. An earthquake of this size has the potential to generate a destructive tsunami that can strike coastlines near the epicenter within minutes and more distant coastlines within hours," the PTWC said.

Reuters reported that power was cut in some areas of the capital of San Jose, where buildings shook because of the quake. In the coastal town of Nosara in northwest Costa Rica, The Associated Press said trees shook violently and light posts swayed. Teachers chased primary school students outside.

At 11:25 a.m. ET, the USGS said it had received 101 reports from people in places from El Salvador to Panama who said they had felt the ground shaking.

The USGS said that "overall, the population in this region resides in structures that are vulnerable to earthquake shaking, though some resistant structures exist."

"The predominant vulnerable building types are adobe block and mud wall construction," it said.
 
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quake hit the pacific side of Costa Rica though...not sure why the caribbean side would be under a watch...

[Updated at 11:18 a.m. ET] A tsunami watch issued for the Caribbean after a 7.6-magnitude quake struck the coast of Costa Rica has been canceled. The watch was inadvertently sent by the Pacific Tsunami Watch Center, and meant for the Pacific.

From the CNN article.
 
Not every quake is capable of creating a tsunami. It needs to thrust, not slide. They mostly slide. I'm betting all is well and its already back to business as usual, which is great of course. Oh, by the way, why is it that there is always a small part of me that is secretly hoping for epic death and destruction?
 
How can the carribean be under tsunami watch when it happened on the pacific side?

Costa Rica has some pretty awesome active volcanoes.
 
Wow,The power just came on here.
Whole house was shaking,no damage though.
Me and my neighbor are going across the street to the beach,There is a really low tide and looks like a few fish got left behind!We are going to eat like kings today!

I'll post some pics when i get back.
 
Wow,The power just came on here.
Whole house was shaking,no damage though.
Me and my neighbor are going across the street to the beach,There is a really low tide and looks like a few fish got left behind!We are going to eat like kings today!

I'll post some pics when i get back.

D: Isn't the sea retreating a sign of an impending tsunami?
 
Wow,The power just came on here.
Whole house was shaking,no damage though.
Me and my neighbor are going across the street to the beach,There is a really low tide and looks like a few fish got left behind!We are going to eat like kings today!

I'll post some pics when i get back.

Dude,

Stay safe! Be careful with the aftershocks.

On the other hand, can you surf during a tsunami?

Uno
 
Wow,The power just came on here.
Whole house was shaking,no damage though.
Me and my neighbor are going across the street to the beach,There is a really low tide and looks like a few fish got left behind!We are going to eat like kings today!

I'll post some pics when i get back.

LOL!! write your next post and put it in a bottle.
 
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