The U.S. Geological Survey has reported a 6.3 magnitude earthquake has struck Taiwan.
The report from the USGS says the quake struck around 7:02 p.m. local time and was centered in a remote mountain area 28 miles southwest of the city of Hualian. The quake was shallow with a depth of only 7.5 miles.
Residents in the capital city of Taipei, 95 miles from the epicenter, said that buildings swayed for more than 10 seconds.
Taiwan’s railway service immediately suspended all operations to check tracks for possible damage. There were no immediate reports of serious damage or casualties but because of the remote location of the epicenter full reports could take time.
Taiwan is located on the seismically active Pacific Ring of Fire.
The insurance commissioner for the state of Oklahoma is telling residents it’s time for them to purchase earthquake insurance.
Commissioner John Doak said that seismic activity experienced in the central part of the state likely will continue. He said that property owners who haven’t purchased policies can suffer quake damage that would seriously hurt their finances.
“Looking into earthquake insurance after your home or business has sustained damage resulting from an earthquake will do little good to help you recover,” Doak wrote in a statement. “Now is the time to protect yourself before the next one occurs.”
A report released last week from the U.S. and Oklahoma Geological surveys suggests that the frequency of quake has risen and continues to rise. Between 1975 to 2008, one to three magnitude 3.0 quakes or larger occurred yearly. From 2009 to 2013, the number was around 40 earthquakes per year.
A magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck off the Fukushima region of Japan, according to the U.S. Geological Service.
The epicenter was located 231 miles east of Japan’s Honshu Island. The tremor was felt 300 miles away in Tokyo.
The Japan Meteorological Agency issued a tsunami warning at 1:14 p.m. EST for Fukushima Prefecture.
Source: USA Today – USA Today: 7.3 magnitude quake strikes east of Japan
A major earthquake has struck in the Philippines under an island that is popular with tourists.
Bohol Island and nearby Cebu both were heavily shaken resulting in destruction of buildings and markets. The governor of Bohol told the BBC that a church and city hall building were heavily damaged by the quake.
At least six people are dead according to local officials. Dozens more have been taken to area hospitals.
“Communication lines are quite difficult here,” Neil Sanchez of the Cebu disaster management office told ABS-CBN news agency. “Even the disaster risk reduction management office has been damaged. We had to move elsewhere.”
The Philippines are located on the Pacific Ring of Fire of seismic and volcanic activity.
A 5.3 magnitude earthquake hit early Friday morning at the nuclear facility which suffered catastrophic meltdowns during the 2011 tsunami in Japan.
Officials with Tokyo Electric Power Company said they observed no abnormality in radiation after the quake according to the Japanese news agency Kyodo News. Continue reading →
A 6.5 magnitude earthquake has shaken New Zealand causing slight damage to buildings in the capital city of Wellington.
The quake was only about 6 miles deep and was followed by several strong aftershocks. Continue reading →
Colombia was hit by its strongest earthquake in six years on Tuesday.
The U.S. Geological Survey estimates the quake at magnitude 6.7 and only 2.7 miles deep 63 miles west of the coastal city of Mutis. Continue reading →
A strong earthquake hit the same northern Japan region Sunday that was devastated by a massive quake and tsunami over 2 years ago.
The 6.0 magnitude quake began shortly after midday, 30 miles below the seabed off the coast of Miyagi Prefecture. Continue reading →
Canada’s southern Pacific coast rattled Sunday with a moderate earthquake.
The 5.7 magnitude quake struck around 6:20 a.m. local time about 96 miles of Port Hardy on Vancouver Island. Continue reading →
A 6.5 magnitude earthquake rocked New Zealand Sunday evening causing damage and power outages but spared the country a tsunami according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The quake was centered 35 miles off the coastline south of the capital city of Wellington at a depth of just over 6 miles. Continue reading →
