A 7.6 magnitude earthquake struck the Caribbean Sea Saturday evening north of Honduras and southwest of the Cayman Islands, the U.S. Geological Survey said.
The quake, which occurred around 6:23 p.m. ET, was at a depth of 10 km, USGS reported. It was the result of "strike slip faulting in the shallow crust near the boundary between the North America and Caribbean plates," USGS said.
Shortly after, the U.S. Tsunami Warning System issued a tsunami warning for Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, both of which are U.S. territories, adding that sea level fluctuations and strong ocean currents could pose a threat along coasts, beaches, in harbors and in coastal waters. The advisory added "sea level readings are not yet available to confirm or evaluate if a tsunami has been generated" and that the agency will update as more information is available.