Magnitude 5.3 Earthquake Rattles U.S. Virgin Islands and Neighboring Territories

ST. THOMAS — A magnitude 5.3 earthquake struck the northeastern Caribbean early Sunday morning, shaking buildings and startling residents across the U.S. Virgin Islands and surrounding territories. The tremor occurred at approximately 2:58 a.m. and was felt most intensely on St. Thomas, where residents reported the shaking lasted for about 20 seconds in some areas. According to seismic data, the earthquake’s epicenter was located roughly 74 kilometers northwest of the British Virgin Islands. It was strong enough to be felt across a broad region, including the British Virgin Islands, Saint Martin, Sint Maarten, Puerto Rico, Saint Kitts and Nevis, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Caribbean Netherlands, Saint Barthélemy, and Anguilla. Shortly after the event, the Virgin Islands Territorial Emergency Management Agency (VITEMA) issued the following advisory: “An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.1 occurred about miles northwest of Saint Thomas at 2:59 a.m. AST on Sunday, May 4, 20...