KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC -A minor earthquake with a magnitude of 3.1 rattled parts of the capital on Thursday night, as the Earthquake Unit (EQU) at the Mona campus of the University of the West Indies (UWI) reported that more than 400 earthquakes had been recorded in and around Jamaica last year.
The EQU said that the last quake at 10.31 pm (local time) occurred at a depth of 10 kilometres (km), rattling parts of Kingston and St Andrew. There were no reports of injuries or damage.
EQU Scientific Officer, Karleen Black, speaking ahead of the January11-17 Earthquake Awareness Week, said that of the earthquakes recorded last year, 122 were classified as near events, including seismic activity affecting neighbouring territories such as the Cayman Islands, Cuba, and Haiti. In contrast, 280 were recorded locally and were distributed across the island.
“There were seven felt earthquakes, and of these, two were in Portland, two in St. Thomas, another two in St. Elizabeth, and one in St. Andrew,” Black said, noting that from the parish distribution, “you can tell that all parishes across the island can experience earthquakes.
She highlighted the resilience of the country’s seismic monitoring network, particularly in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa, which struck on October 28 last year, killing 45 people and causing damage estimated at more than nine billion US dollars.
“Coming out of Melissa, we would have had some damage to our stations… however, due to our resiliency in having multiple networks, we were able to keep the monitoring going, even during Melissa,” she said, reminding Jamaicans that the island is exposed to multiple hazards and that overlapping events are likely.
“As you know, Jamaica is a multi-hazard country, and it is quite possible that during a hurricane or some other disaster, you could have an earthquake as well,” she cautioned.
Although Jamaica did not experience an earthquake during Hurricane Melissa, Black pointed to a magnitude 3.1 earthquake in St. Elizabeth on December 1 as a reminder that seismic activity can still occur in areas already impacted by the hurricane.
“As we go forward into 2026, it’s the role of the Earthquake Unit to support all its partners, such as the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) and the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ), as well as you, the general public, to help you with general information about areas that are most affected by earthquakes, data requests, as well as safety,” Black said.
Earthquake Awareness Week will be observed under the theme ‘Resilient Jamaica: We Weather the Storm and Brace for the Shake’.
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