M7.4 - OFFSHORE EL SALVADOR

M7.4 - OFFSHORE EL SALVADOR

Preliminary Earthquake Report
Magnitude 7.4
Date-Time
14 Oct 2014 03:51:38 UTC
13 Oct 2014 21:51:39 near epicenter
13 Oct 2014 19:51:38 standard time in your timezone
Location 12.613N 88.073W
Depth 70 km
Distances
64 km (39 mi) S of Intipuca, El Salvador
83 km (51 mi) SSW of La Union, El Salvador
90 km (55 mi) SSE of San Rafael Oriente, El Salvador
90 km (55 mi) SE of Puerto El Triunfo, El Salvador
169 km (104 mi) SE of San Salvador, El Salvador
Location Uncertainty Horizontal: 0.0 km; Vertical 5.3 km
Parameters Nph = 118; Dmin = 69.1 km; Rmss = 1.36 seconds; Gp = 20°
Version = B
Event ID us b000slwn
For updates, maps, and technical information, see: Event Page or USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
National Earthquake Information Center
U.S. Geological Survey
earthquake.usgs.gov...


No tsunami expected

An earthquake with magnitude 7.4 occurred near La Unión, La Unión, El Salvador at 03:51:38.90 UTC on Oct 14, 2014. (This event has been reviewed by a seismologist.)

Developing story so no reports in yet if any damage occurred, but struck in the water off shore

Warning in effect
ptwc.weather.gov...

EDIT TSUNAMI THREAT HAS PASSED
www.tsunami.gov...

* BASED ON ALL DATA AVAILABLE TO THIS CENTER... THE TSUNAMI
THREAT FROM THIS EARTHQUAKE HAS NOW MOSTLY PASSED. ANY
REMAINING THREAT SHOULD BE EVALUATED BY LOCAL AUTHORITIES IN
IMPACTED AREAS.


TSUNAMI THREAT FORECAST...UPDATED
---------------------------------

* BASED UPON FURTHER ANALYSES OF THE EARTHQUAKE AND THE
TSUNAMI FORECAST... THERE IS NO LONGER A TSUNAMI THREAT
FROM THIS EARTHQUAKE.


RECOMMENDED ACTIONS
-------------------

* REMAIN OBSERVANT AND EXERCISE NORMAL CAUTION NEAR THE SEA.
OTHERWISE... NO ACTION IS REQUIRED.

That's a big one! My thoughts are with everyone in the area...

Having just experienced the 6.0 in Napa I can't imagine the fear everyone in El Salvador must have felt with the 7.4!

"It felt really powerful, suddenly the whole house started to move," said Xiomara Amaya, 30, who lives in El Salvador's department of Usulutan.

So far there's been one reported death...

A magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck late on Monday off the coast of El Salvador and Nicaragua and was felt across Central America, killing at least one person, but there were no immediate reports of major damage.

Powerful earthquake strikes off El Salvador, one dead

USGS Shake Map:



Earthquake damage in San Miguel, El Salvador (Image from twitter)

For those who understand Spanish, you can watch a broadcast from El Salvador, and hopefully give us an update, as I don't speak the language here. Pics starting to come in of fallen ceiling tiles inside a hospital. Before that they were focusing on the seashore and were obviously afraid of a tsunami, but they said no tsunami. Thoughts and prayers for all.

a reply to: Jennyfrenzy
Thanks for the update
Yes it's a strong quake

It's been downgraded to 7.3

It prompted some evacuations

A major earthquake struck just off the Pacific coast of Central America Monday night, killing one person and prompting fears of a tsunami along the Pacific coast of Central America. Evacuations were ordered for at least two coastal communities in Nicaragua, and authorities in El Salvador were also on high alert for earthquake damage and the potential for a tsunami.

The quake was felt widely across the region, with shaking reported in Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and far southeastern Mexico.


El Salvador's civil protection agency confirmed that a man was killed by a falling utility pole in that country, but did not provide any further details. Officials in El Salvador also issued a tsunami alert for its coastline. The country's civil protection agency said there have been no reports of changes in sea level along the coast. However, the earthquake itself caused minor damage to at least 12 homes in the department of Usulutan.

Media outlets in Nicaragua say the Nicaraguan government has activated a tsunami alert for its Pacific coast. Nicaraguan newspaper Hoy said evacuations were initiated in the coastal communities of Corinto and San Juan del Sur. The website said power was out in the town of Chinandega, including its hospital.

The Pacific Typhoon Warning Center initially said there was no Pacific-wide tsunami threat. Minutes later, the agency released a list of estimated tsunami arrival times from Mexico to Chile. Another 26 minutes after that, the agency retracted that list, indicating that the tsunami threat had "mostly passed." However, concerns remain about the damage potential from the quake. USGS's PAGER model says there is an 89 percent probability of one or more fatalities from this earthquake. Reports to the agency's "Did You Feel It?" page indicated

weather.com

a reply to: violet

It's going to be a long night for the people in the area. Hopefully there aren't any really strong aftershocks.



pics from #elsalvador on twitter...

a reply to: Jennyfrenzy

Thanks for your updates

From your Twitter link regarding the dead man

1 homeless person killed in the streets of San Miguel #ElSalvador when electricity post fell on him after 7.3 quake, says Civil Protection

Hopefully no others are injured or dead. Sure will be a long night for these poor souls

a reply to: aboutface

Thanks for the link. Can't speak Spanish myself.

Power outages reported in El Salvador, Nicaragua says schools would be closed Tuesday - @AP

a reply to: violet

originally posted by: Jennyfrenzy
USGS Shake Map:

The good news for them is they avoided a Tsunami, that little bay would be swallowed up.
Not to pile on here, I'm sure their scared enough by the shaking, but there is an active Volcano just about 67 km east of epicenter in Chinandega. If you look on the above shake map it is dew east of the epicenter. San Cristóbal Volcano Wiki

San Cristóbal remains quite active, continuously expelling copious amounts of gas and smoke. As recent as September 2009, it was reported that ash was falling in nearby towns.[6] In September 2012 it erupted again, spewing ash up to four kilometres (2.5 miles) into the atmosphere, resulting in the evacuation of around 3000 people in the surrounding area.[7] A further eruption took place, starting on the 25th of December 2012 and continuing into 2013, causing the evacuation of hundreds of locals.[8]

Something to keep an eye on.

Edit: Thanks for the map JennyFrenzy

RSOE is showing two distinct 7+ EQ's, over TWO hours apart:

a reply to: PlanetXisHERE

I've noticed duplicate postings of earthquakes on RSOE, it's most likely just an error.

USGS:

a reply to: Jennyfrenzy

Some say El Salvador while others say Nicaragua. USGS changed the country in its quake feed as well. Some saying 7.4 , some 7.3

a reply to: PlanetXisHERE
Hmm that's interesting, it does have two of them.
For awhile as I posted this last night, my quake app with the USGS feed was showing two, then it refreshed before my eyes into one. Figured it was an error. It well could be. People were still awake to have tweeted they felt it or them.

It was a woman killed, the reports last night were saying a homeless man.

CNN) -- A powerful 7.4-magnitude quake shook the Pacific coast of Central America on Tuesday, causing some damage and killing at least one person in El Salvador. The quake was deep (70.5 kilometers or 43 miles) but close to El Salvador's shoreline -- about 64 kilometers from the municipality of Intipuca. El Salvador's Ministry of Weather and Natural Resources initially issued a tsunami warning for the coastal regions, saying the quake was felt throughout the country. It later downgraded it to a tsunami alert. What to know about earthquakes The mayor of San Miguel tweeted some photos that showed light structural damage to the local hospital. Crews responded to at least 12 collapsed homes. Power to the city was knocked out, but has been largely restored. At least one death was reported in San Miguel. A woman was killed when an electrical utility pole fell on her, Mayor Will Salgado said. Measuring the magnitude of earthquakes